Remarks from ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy
This a serious event and we could be grim and sombre, but am more than happy to be here today – I am also honoured to be here among so many fine people.
I am here speaking on behalf of over 200,000 working people across the North and over 800,000 trade unionists across this island. This is a situation which has caused outrage and concern across the border and the Irish sea.
Workers from all professions and trades can see what is happening here – and know what is in the hearts and minds of the 300 families being singled out and attacked here by a corporation which has been happy to accept the welfare of every taxpayer for years.
This campaign has been organized by these workers’ representatives in the CWU trade union and the tireless local activists in Fermanagh Trades Council, and it has attracted the support of all good people in the locality.
There are representatives from every political tradition here today. The same concerns and justified anger is being expressed by the present and past Economy Ministers Conor Murphy and by Baroness Foster, and all points in between and beyond those perspectives.
Every MLA from Fermanagh & South Tyrone is on the side of the 300, as is the local MP.
Every councillor on Fermanagh & Omagh District Council is with these workers.
When Arlene Foster was economy minster in 2014, she welcomed the taxpayers’ investment on EE’s call centres. She said while announcing 1 and a half millions pounds for a call centre that: "Invest NI's offer of support was also crucial to convincing EE to choose Northern Ireland as the base for its new customer service centre."
It certainly was, and now its payback time.
As the present Economy minster, Conor Murphy has more than hinted, writing a letter to them last February that ‘BT is a well-respected brand’ and he said it had ‘an excellent relationship his department.’
He also noted that between 2017 and 2020, Invest NI offered the company almost £9m in grant support for two projects in NI.
He added:
Should these job losses materialise it would be completely contrary to my economic vision and particularly to the objective of regional balance.
It would also damage the reputation of BT.
Regardless of the money, payback for reputational damage on this scale is incalculable.
This company – it has 2 names – EE and BT – but it is one operation – has acted disgracefully towards this town and its people.
It has undermined trust among a skilled and dedicated workforce who have themselves invested their family futures in this community.
It has treated the representatives of those workers with distain and contempt.
It has made pledges to the taxpayers and the politicians we elect to carefully spend our rates and our taxes and it seems to want to take the money and run.
They cannot be allowed to hide like this.
They cannot act like careless people. They cannot smash up things and then retreat back into their money, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.
This town is your town. The people here today are from its streets and small businesses and shops and hotels, its local farms and holiday businesses which rely on the salaries of those 300 good jobs.
This town is not a sponge for grants. This is a productive place with hard-working and honest citizens, who are not careless people.
This trade union movement, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and more than 40 unions with more than 800,000 working people is on your side. We have gone with your union representatives to lobby officials in the Department for the Economy for strong action and will do so again – and for as many times as it takes.
The politicians elected to represent all of the people around here are on the same side and current and former ministers for the economy is on your side.
Right is on your side, and will prevail.
We can save these jobs – all 300 of them.
We can keep this town afloat.
Decency demands it.
