Agri-food sector most at risk from Brexit, says union leader

Tens of thousands of jobs in Ireland will be at risk if Britain leaves the European Union, the Impact trade union conference in Killarney has been told.

Addressing the conference Gerry McCormack, the lead negotiator for the trade union Siptu in the manufacturing sector argued that the agri-food industry would be most at risk from " Brexit".

He said 40 per cent of output the agri-food sector was exported to the UK. He said the agri-food sector supported 170,000 Irish jobs.

Mr McCormack forecast that a British exit from the EU would disrupt Irish exports to all UK markets including trade with Northern Ireland which was worth €1.6 billion annually to the Republic.

He said both sides in the UK referendum debate agreed that an exit would see the re-imposition of border controls in Ireland. He also predicted that a UK withdrawal from the union would lead to the erosion of workers’ rights in Northern Ireland, place restrictions on travel between the two jurisdictions and raise questions over the eligibility for benefits of Irish citizens resident in Britain.

‘Bread and butter issue’

“This is a bread and butter issue about thousands of Irish jobs and the families they support. And, with 500,000 Irish citizens living in the UK and an estimated 300,000 UK citizens living in Ireland, it is also about free movement between our two countries.”

"The Irish in Britain and the British in Ireland can have a decisive impact on the outcome of this referendum and I urge all of them – together with workers in Northern Ireland – to use their vote to say 'No' to Brexit. "

Impact general secretary Shay Cody told the conference that while the EU was not perfect, it had delivered equal pay for women, other equality legislation, workplace safety regulations and a host of other protections for workers, consumers and citizens.

He said British exit would put these achievements and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.