The Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Congress (ICTU) has agreed to support the campaign for an independent investigation into the 1971 killing of eleven civilians by the British army's Parachute Regiment in Ballymurphy, West Belfast.
Congress President Eugene McGlone has confirmed that the ICTU will formally raise the issue with authorities in both Dublin and Belfast, stressing the need for a full independent investigation into the 1971 killings. The decision follows a meeting between Congress and representatives of the Ballymurphy Massacre Campaign and was welcomed by Mr McGlone.
"The people of Ballymurphy are entitled to truth and justice - something which they have been denied for over 40 years now. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions fully endorses and supports their campaign for justice and for a full investigation into those terrible events.
"We will be raising this with the authorities in both Dublin and Belfast at the earliest possible opportunity: the people of Ballymurphy can no longer be denied justice, they can no longer be denied access to the truth," Mr McGlone said.
The 11 civilians were killed by members of the British Parachute Regiment in August 1971, following the introduction of internment without trial across Northern Ireland. Among those killed were a mother of eight and a priest who had been tending to the wounded.
While the British authorities have recently agreed to the re-opening of the inquests of 10 of those killed, it has refused to establish an independent investigation, as demanded by Ballymurphy residents.
