Abortion is a workplace issue North and South, says union Equalities Officer

May 27th: Trade union Unite has welcomed the overwhelming vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment. The union, which represents workers throughout the island of Ireland, campaigned actively for repeal as a member of both the Trade Union Campaign to Repeal the Eighth Amendment and Together for Yes. Unite is also a member of Alliance for Choice in Northern Ireland

Commenting, Unite Women’s and Equalities Officer Taryn Trainor said:

“Unite has long been a pro-choice union, and was one of the sponsors of the ground-breaking research into Abortion as a Workplace Issue published last year, which examined the experiences of trade union members throughout the island.

“On Friday, an overwhelming majority of voters – and trade union members – in the Republic decided to recognise reality, repeal the Eighth Amendment and allow women to access terminations in Ireland. But the fight for women’s right to bodily autonomy will not be over until women in Northern Ireland have access to abortion services at home, without the threat of criminalisation and without the need to travel either to England or, now, to the Republic.

“Unite will continue campaigning to ensure that, following the referendum, the promised legislation is introduced in the Republic, and that abortion is decriminalised in Northern Ireland”, Taryn Trainor concluded.