Trade union urges No vote in referendum

The Mandate Trade Union is urging its 45,000 members to vote No in the EU Fiscal Treaty referendum.

The union, which represents retail and bar workers, said the Treaty will “copper-fasten decades of austerity, mass long term unemployment and emigration into a legally binding agreement”.

Addressing the union’s Biennial Conference in Co Wexford, General Secretary John Douglas said that the Treaty “will not create one job and will lock down Irish economic activity at its current levels”.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions will meet this week to decide its position on the Treaty - however, General Secretary David Begg has said they may have no choice but to support it - as the alternative would be much worse.