November 4th: Unite has today written to Tom Geraghty, Secretary of the ICTU Public Services Committee, asking for an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Committee to be convened to discuss the re-negotiation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement in light of current developments.

Commenting, Unite Regional Coordinating Officer Richie Browne pointed out that, when the Croke Park II agreement did not deliver the cuts sought at the desired speed, the then Government quickly moved to conclude a new agreement, Haddington Road:  “Today, it is clear that the Lansdowne Road Agreement is not delivering for workers and must be replaced with a new agreement which fully reflects our economic recovery”.  Mr Browne represents Unite on the ICTU Public Services Committee.

Pointing out that, although Unite rejected the Lansdowne Road Agreement, the union’s members agreed to be bound by the result of the aggregate ICTU ballot, Richie Browne said that Unite’s continuing agreement to abide by the LRA cannot be taken for granted:

“Depending on the outcome of the Extraordinary  General Meeting of the ICTU’s Public Services Committee, which we requested today, Unite’s agreement can be revisited, reconsidered and reversed”, Richie Browne warned.