From Unity, 10 May 2008

May Day in Belfast

Irish trade unions and sections of the British labour movement joined ranks this year as several thousand people walked in the May Day demonstration in Belfast. The sun was not exactly shining but the spirits were high, in spite of the wake-up call that the British Labour Party got the day before.
     As well as all the usual union banners from Belfast and the North, the Dublin Trades Council’s banner made the journey again to be with their sisters and brothers.
     The theme of this year’s rally was “Equality, diversity, solidarity.” Jimmy Kelly, Irish regional secretary of Unite, was the main speaker at the rally. He spoke about the need to unite to fight racism and the need for solidarity with migrant workers. In Northern Ireland there has been an increase in the number of migrant workers, with an estimated thirty to forty thousand Polish nationals alone. Many of the workers are doubly exploited, because they do not speak English and are not familiar with their rights. There is a violation of the minimum wage, lack of contracts, no payslips, unfair dismissal, holiday entitlement abuse, and sex and race discrimination.
     Other speakers at the rally included Brian Campfield of the Belfast and District Trade Union Council and deputy general secretary of NIPSA, who told the rally about the success of Kasia Garbal, who had been sacked from her job in a local restaurant because she wore her cardigan in the refrigeration area. After a series of pickets organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the newly established ICTU Migrant Workers Unit, and the Belfast Trades Council, the young woman was offered her job back and given back pay. Brian also attacked the employers who are using an “equality” tactic to peg back wages.
     Guest speakers from Palestine addressed the rally and were welcomed by Patricia McKeown, president of the ICTU.
     Union banners were flying high as they walked the traditional route through Belfast to St George’s Market, where festival, food and children’s activities took place. Belfast was once again the place to be for May Day. It was the culmination of a variety of May Day events, which included Rock Against Racism, the Trades Council Annual May Day Lecture on “The significant of the Civil Rights Association,” and a May Ball that raised several thousand pounds for a Palestinian women’s trade union organisation. These were altogether a series of very successful events.

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