INTO Presidents's Statement on ICTU Demonstration 19/02/09

Statement by Declan Kelleher, INTO President, ICTU Demonstration

19 February 2009

INTO President urges workers to put shoe leather on streets of Dublin.
 
The president of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said today that this Saturday’s demonstration organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is an opportunity for all fair minded citizens to stand up and be counted and demand a fairer way of tackling the country’s economic difficulties. He said although all trade unionists will want to vent their anger and frustration at the government’s unfair handling of the crisis, Saturday’s demonstration is not for trade unionists only.

“Every citizen who wants to see a fair resolution to the country’s economic problems should put shoe leather on the streets of the capital,” said Mr Kelleher.  

He said the disclosures over the past few weeks concerning the behaviour of senior personnel in Ireland’s banking and financial world have been a source of shock and outrage to all citizens. “Next Saturday is an opportunity for everyone to voice their disgust at this behaviour. Those who have brought the country into disrepute cannot be allowed to escape while others pay for their recklessness and worse.”

Mr Kelleher said that many of these figures were behind what he called the recent IBEC driven agenda to try and divide public and private sector workers. “This will not succeed,” said Mr Kelleher. “Saturday’s demonstration will prove that.” Mr Kelleher was speaking in schools in north Dublin where he urged teachers to turn out in force on Saturday.
 
ENDS.