INFURIATED unionists yesterday denounced the Women's Coalition at the last meeting of the Northern Forum this year when the grouping dissented from a subcommittee report on the boycotting of businesses.
The report concluded that there had been orchestrated nationalist boycotting of Protestant businesses in some parts of Northern Ireland, and it accused republicans of being instrumental in initiating that campaign.
The Women's Coalition, however, produced its own minority report. It claimed the committee's report was based on hearsay, perceptions and assumptions rather than hard evidence, and it said it failed to meet the Forum's stated duty of promoting dialogue, understanding and consensus.
The report was a monument to increasing rather than healing division, said a Women's Coalition member, Ms Pearl Sagar. She said it used hearsay to attack others "and this brings us all into disrepute".
The coalition, she said, believed the report did a disservice to community relations, to the economy and to those who had been boycotted. It had the potential to do further damage to the situation and it believed it should be withdrawn.
A DUP Forum representative, Mrs Iris Robinson, accused the Women's Coalition of refusing to accept "the wrongs perpetrated by nationalists against Protestants".
Mrs Robinson added: "I thank God, Mr Chairman, that there are only 7,000 idiots that voted for those women".
The Women's Coalition minority report records that the Federation of Small Businesses undertook a survey of some 120 organisations, or about 9 per cent of its membership of 1,400.
Of these, 93 per cent experienced no boycotting, 2 per cent experienced light boycotting, 5 per cent experienced moderate boycotting and none experienced severe boycotting. All except 1 per cent indicated a return to normal.
The Women's Coalition was the only Forum party to vote against the sub committee report. The Alliance Party Forum member, Sir Oliver Napier, supported the report. He said the evidence made it clear that there had been an organised boycott "of some Protestant shops in some places, at times' enforced by subtle intimidation". I This was a social evil which he and all in leadership must condemn.
The Forum adjourned until the second week in January.
