Trade union leaders representing workers across all sectors of the economy have marked EU Anti-Trafficking Day (Oct. 18) by calling on Irish politicians to take swift action to end sex trafficking and exploitation.
Voicing support for the Turn Off the Red Light (TORL) campaign, trade unionists from the ICTU, SIPTU, ASTI, ESBOA, CWU, IBOA and the PSEU said:
"We support the Turn Off the Red Light campaign and believe the best way to end the human rights abuses taking place in every county in Ireland is to target demand by making it illegal to pay for sex.
"We reject the notion that the traffickers, pimps and other criminals operating a sex 'trade' here will ever respect the rights of workers. Any suggestion that pimps will overnight become model employers flies in the face of reality and the experience in other countries.
"We fully support the efforts of the Turn Off the Red Light campaign and on EU Anti-Trafficking Day are proud to stand side by side with the survivors of sex trafficking, their support groups and all others fighting to bring about change.
"Today we are encouraging our individual members to contact their local politicians and encourage them to take swift action to shut down a trade which has become the scourge of Europe."
The trade union officials taking part were: David Joyce, ICTU; Ethel Buckley, SIPTU; Pat King, ASTI; Gerry Breslin, ASTI; Sally Maguire, ASTI; Tom Geraghty, PSEU; Treasa Ni Mhurchu, ESBOA; Jessie Doherty, IBOA; Ian McArdle, CWU.
