PROTECTING jobs and reducing unemployment are more important to the Irish economy than meeting deadlines for European Monetary Union, according to a leading trade unionist.
Mr Joe Bowers of MSF said that if Britain opted out of the EMU, Ireland should consider delaying its application "until the UK does apply, or until it can be confidently demonstrated that there would he a clear balance in favour of jobs, following Ireland's entry".
Mr Bowers is the union's regional officer for Northern Ireland and a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions executive. He was giving a comprehensive response yesterday to the EU Green Paper on monetary union.
A study should be carried out of the likely impact on employment in Ireland if the Republic joins the EMU and the UK opts out, he said. While the introduction of a single currency will lead to "an equalisation of competitive pressures, it will not lead to an equalisation of benefits".
He predicted that the introduction of a single EU currency would have severe job implications for the financial services industry, in which a large proportion of MF members works.
European structural funds had not been adequate to ensure economic cohesion would take place under an EMU regime, Mr Bowers argued. As well as more funding, strong regional policies and greater accountability by the proposed European central hank would be needed.
The bank should be made accountable to the European Parliament and Council.
Several multi nation states have a single currency, he said the United Kingdom was a good example. An unemployed person in Belfast would receive broadly the same social protection as an unemployed person in London. This was not the case between people living in different member states of the EU.
He suggested a working party to examine the extent of surplus labour likely to arise from EMU.