A very black day for Irish Trade Unionism!

This is only the start! Unfortunately, its with very great sadness that I have the sad but not unexpected news that the Irish Secretary of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU)- Mick O'Reilly and his Deputy have been officially fired by Bill Morris, General Secretary of the ATGWU's parent Union in Britain - the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU). I got this very bad news from a very reliable source who has been in very close contact with Jimmy Kelly and Des Bonass - 2 very influential and staunch Pro Mick O'Reilly figures in the ATGWU. Many of us thought that there was some hope that Mick might survive following the recent elections for the TGWU CEC that saw an increased Left representation on the CEC. At the end of the day when the CEC voted on the sacking of Mick and his Deputy they split 19:19. It was that close! It was left to the Chairperson to use his casting vote to seal Mick's fate. Many of us were very disappointed because the Chairperson was thought of as somebody who was very sympathetic to Mick O'Reilly and would have voted against sacking Mick. Unfortunately however it looks like the Chairperson was very heavily leaned on by Bill Morris to coerce the Chairperson into voting for Mick O'Reilly and his Deputy's sacking.

This is a terrible tragedy for the Irish Trade Union Movement! We've lost one of the very few few genuine Trade Union Leaders in Ireland who actually fought for his members. Mick O'Reilly also supported other Worker's struggles. For example Mick publicly supported the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland's (ASTI) pay rise campaign and he was the only Trade Union Leader as far as I know who did support the ASTI. As well as that Mick warmly welcomed Brendan Ogle and the Irish Locomotive Drivers Association (ILDA) into the ATGWU when no other Trade Union would touch ILDA with a bargepole. Under Mick O'Reilly's Leadership the ATGWU were the only Trade Union to vote against that fraud, that so-called 'Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness' (PPF). MANDATE - the Bar and Shopworkers Union also opposed the PPF but as far as I can recall they didn't ballot their members on the PPF. In a Democratic, Free and Fair Ballot scrutinized by Independent, Outside Observers, over 80% (if my memory serves me right) of ATGWU Members rejected the PPF and there was a similar majority against the PPF 'Review'. Mick and the ATGWU were the only Irish Trade Union to campaign against the Nice Treaty. Mick O'Reilly also very strongly supported the Anti Globalisation/Anti Capitalist Movement. When Mick O'Reilly was Secretary of the ATGWU, the ATGWU always had a presence at any progressive March/Demo, whether it be Anti racism, Anti corruption, Unemployed, Anti bin tax etc, etc, you always saw the ATGWU Banner and usually there were several ATGWU Banners present from the likes of Waterford Crystal ATGWU, ESB ATGWU etc, etc.

I don't think that we've seen the end of Mick O'Reilly's involvement in the Irish Trade Union Movement. I have to be very careful what I say, except to say that we haven't seen nor heard the last of Mick O'Reilly's involvement in the Irish Trade Union Movement, not by a very very long shot!