Unite trade union says Left government can be formed with Sinn Féin

Jimmy Kelly: ‘We can produce a legacy of genuine alternative views’

THE Unite trade union has urged people to vote to elect a left-wing government for the first time in Irish history. The union, the second largest in the state and a Labour Party affiliate, has also called on Labour to go into coalition with Sinn Féin and other Left parties and “progressive Independents” to make this happen.

“A vote for Fine Gael is a vote for more Fianna Fáil policies,” Unite the Union said. “There is nothing to be gained by helping Fine Gael back into office.”

Unite is encouraging the Labour Party to “look Left for coalition partners rather than to the old order of Fine Gael”, which it described as Fianna Fáil’s “political half-brothers”.

Jimmy Kelly, Regional Secretary of Unite the Union, said:

“The Left has never been stronger. Recent polls put the combined strength of the Labour Party and Sinn Féin at 40%.  This is substantially higher than either of the right-wing parties.

“With the support of other Left parties and progressive Independents, a Left government is now a distinct possibility.”

The leading trade union activist added:

“We need to remove Fianna Fáil from government and keep their political half-brothers, Fine Gael, out too.

“A vote for Fine Gael is a vote for more Fianna Fáil policies.

“They will support massive cuts to public services, privatisation, more job losses across all sectors and social welfare cuts.

“There is nothing to be gained by helping Fine Gael back into office.”

The Unite spokesperson said that competition for votes and seats between Left parties is to be expected but:

“We should remember that progressives have more in common with each other than they do with either of the Civil War parties.

“For the first time we have an opportunity to move away from out-of-touch and outdated politics based on history rather than ideology.

“We can produce a legacy of genuine alternative views between Right and Left, social democracy and neo-liberalism.

“Right-wing politics based on the markets has failed utterly.

Unite will be calling on its members, trade unionists and all workers to use their votes to maximise left-wing seats. We urge them to vote for, and transfer to, left-wing candidates.

“The electorate will decide what the next government will be.

“We all have an opportunity to elect the first Left government in the history of the state.”