WORKING PEOPLE UNITED AGAINST RACISM

26 JUNE 2009

WORKING PEOPLE UNITED AGAINST RACISM
Belfast City Hall, Thursday 2 July 2009, 1pm

The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is hosting a major rally next Thursday to protest at the recent series of racist attacks aimed at migrant workers from Romania, Poland and India.

The rally will also highlight the plight of migrant workers who are facing other threats to their well being, from exploitative employers or others that seek to take advantage of their needs.

This rally is expressing public solidarity with all workers who face attacks and exploitation The rally is also demanding a structured response from politicians, government agencies to work together with local and migrant community representatives to adequately represent and protect these working people who find themselves at the bottom rungs of the labour market.

Peter Bunting, ICTU Assistant General Secretary said “We are calling for working people from Northern Ireland and from every country who live here to show a united face against those who attack migrants and those who exploit working people.

“Exploitation is colour blind and does not discriminate in whom it exploits. People trafficking is a criminal enterprise which cannot be tolerated in a civilised society. It is as vicious as throwing stones or petrol bombs at the homes of families who happen to be foreign.

“Communities of people from Northern Ireland and communities of migrant workers need the resources to identify exploitation and racism and to build a united and shared society.

“It is time for a political response which addresses community cohesion, intercultural integration and builds solidarity across all sectors of our diverse society. We must think about shared futures to embrace all people living and working in Northern Ireland and not just in terms of the two communities.

“Finally, migrant workers and their families bring major benefits to Northern Ireland. Our economy, our culture and our quality of life is enhanced by pluralism, tolerance and solidarity across the language groups and races, as well as across the sectarian divide.”

The details of the rally are as follows:
DATE: THURSDAY 2 JULY 2009
VENUE: CITY HALL, BELFAST
TIME: 1PM

SPEAKERS FROM THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT, MIGRANT COMMUNITY AND SOUTH BELFAST COMMUNITY SECTOR.