From Unity, 6 February 2010

If you wanted an easy life!

Mao Zedong once said that if you wanted an easy life you were born in the wrong century. Of course we all know that once that century ended it did not mean easy lives began, especially where Northern Ireland politics are concerned.
     The Good Friday Agreement has been touted round the globe as a template for others to follow. What people would think of the present impasse is anybody’s guess!
     Whenever we get over this impasse the next problem on the horizon will be the Bill of Rights. On the surface, such an issue would seem to pose no problem; but of the twenty-eight recommendations we could see that at least one would stand out to the employers and their political supporters. It is the “right to work” section of the supplement that has just been published by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. It states that “workers should be able to strike and bargain collectively”—two rights that have been eroded over the years. It would be naïve to think that employers in Britain would not have an interest as well in this matter.
     The right to enter a civil partnership is another section that will no doubt raise the blood pressure of the more backward-looking in our society.
     The commission itself had, according to one of its members, Prof. Colin Harvey, “opted for strong, rights-oriented advice,” and it has attracted sharp political criticism for this. To counter this criticism Prof. Harvey stated that this is the path that international experts in this field would expect the Human Rights Commission to take. He further states that the advice given by the commission supplements the European Convention and both stresses international human rights standards and takes into account the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland.
     Unfortunately, attitudes to the bill fall into the traditional nationalist-unionist divisions when it comes to political party views. This is not surprising when you take into account the comments of the commissioner Daphne Trimble (wife of the former Ulster Unionist Party leader), who said that she opposed the implementation of a Bill of Rights here on the grounds that there was not one in the rest of the UK, and “it would undermine the Union.”
     There is, however, a welcoming attitude from others, including trade union and community groups. Prof. Harvey says the government response is “widely regarded as deeply disappointing and that there is a real risk that hopes and aspirations may be dashed.” To get it implemented will be an uphill struggle; but, as the man said, “If you wanted an easy life . . .”

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