Commenting after the announcement today, ICTU Assistant General Secretary Owen Reidy said :
"ICTU is disappointed at the very negative and opportunist reaction to the judgement from some quarters on social media. State agencies like the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland are a vital part of a functioning democracy and we must support and respect their right to take important cases on behalf of people like Gareth Lee in the pursuit of equality.'
"In relation to the ruling, the ICTU shares the concern of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland 'that this judgment may raise uncertainty about the application of equality law in the commercial sphere, both about what businesses can do and what customers may expect; and that the beliefs of business owners may take precedence over a customer's equality rights, which in our view is contrary to what the legislature intended'."
