study of the trade Research Unit*. The unit's latest bulletin traces the history of unions in Ireland and examines the record of leadership of the North Irish unions on civil rights and sectarianism, as well on the "bread employment, wages and conditions.
The image of the 'non-sectarian' unions has its roots in 1969, when shop stewards held a meeting in an attemotto orevent anv recurrence or the fvoe of anti-Catholic pogroms which took place in the 1920s. In August 1969 the stewards were largely successful.
Resolution The Workers Research Unit have done well to dig up the resolution which was passed then.
called for throughout the community' and the need to break the cycle of mutual recrimination'. But it ended with the 'demand' that 'the force of law and order take stronger measures to maintain the peace.
At the time that resolution was passed the 'forces of law and order' had just finished playing their part in the assault on the Catholic ghettoes of Derry and in the killing of eleven Catholics during the anti-Catholic pogrom in To say that the shipyards' resolution was an outstanding example of 'non-sectarianism' is to say that this should include encouragement for a police force which has consistently acted as the main physical instrument of Protestant sectarianism. Peace may have been secured in the Belfast shipyards in August 1969, but it was secured at a price.
unions in the North of He last workers butter' issues the Belfast shipyards in August efforts of the 'restoration peace ALSO PAYMENTS (FOR DEBT ACT 60p a useless concept - for if sectarianism is opposition to the RUC, then the trade unions in The North of Ireland could do with a good dose As well as paying special attention to the Maguire case, the Belfast Workers Research Unit also investigates the attitude of the trade unions to the attempted Loyalist strike of 1977. The leadership ot the unions strike, but again they did so in a 'non-sectarian' KOHICIEDUI industrial stability'.
Committee. opposed ine television IN DECLINE of NEWRY such demands how life would be if it were standards — better. prospect of peace and people.
What such unionism in the North of members of all the affiliated unions'.
ladeen une more liable to Republicans, for Consequently, Unit savs.
contained little that anyone could disagree with... They did not comprise a political programme but rather a statement of - by anyone's This was not how the sponsors of 'Better Life' saw it: Leading trade unionist Andy Barr argued that 'the choice for Northern Ireland people is therefore to resign themselves to the paramilitaries to fill the vacuum, or to do as dOne support constructive set of proposals which hold out the prosperity for the sentiments overlooked, and what the general mythology concerning trade Ireland overlooks, was pointed out in one reply to Barr from another trade unionist: *The paramilitaries are Loyalist 'paramilitaries' are be in trade unions than the the simple reason that Loyalists are more liable to be in employment.
as the Workers Research the unity to which union ofticials refer is therefore a shallow one. It might be more accurate to say that the Loyalist workers tolerate the trade union movement as long as it is concerned with bread and butter issues.
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