The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has condemned recent extremist protests outside centres housing refugees in Dublin and elsewhere.
Congress General Secretary Owen Reidy deplored the activities of extremists who are “whipping up fears and anxieties by turning their hate on those seeking international protection in Ireland”.
He said, "trade unions have a long history of fighting the politics of hate through seeking equality, tackling racism, sectarianism, and apartheid, and we send our solidarity to those communities across Ireland who have shown solidarity with those who come here seeking refuge, and have shunned those extremists peddling hate speech and xenophobia.
The cynical use of socioeconomic challenges such as a lack of public services, housing, and the refugee crisis, by elements seeking to sew division and hate, and divide working people and local communities is unacceptable".
Congress President Kevin Callinan added that: “The best way to defeat the far right is by delivering decent work, wages, rights, public services, and homes for all. In order to do that we must build solidarity and workers’ power.
The trade union movement stands with refugees and international protection applicants and their representative organisations. We will continue to build solidarity between working people of all backgrounds and to work towards ensuring that the messages of the far right never gain mainstream traction in our unions, communities, and workplaces”.
