State has moral duty to ratify Nice - ICTU

Ireland has a "moral obligation" to ratify the Nice Treaty and extend the benefits of the EU to countries which once played central roles in European affairs, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said.

Outlining the ICTU case for a Yes vote in the June 7th referendum, general secretary Mr Peter Cassells conceded the treaty was not perfect. But he said it represented genuine progress for Irish workers. By clearing the way for enlargement, it provided Ireland and other member-states with access to expanded markets, ensuring the Irish economy could continue to grow alongside the EU.

Above all, there was an imperative on this country to support the accession of states which were "really rejoining Europe" after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. ICTU had been urged to support a Yes vote by its corresponding confederations in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and other countries, he said.

Mr Cassells condemned "scaremongering about militarisation and loss of freedom", which he said characterised the tactics of most of those campaigning against the treaty. This appeared to stem from a "deep-rooted hostility to the existence and expansion of the EU".

ICTU's assistant general secretary, Ms Joan Carmichael, said although all Irish workers had benefited from EU membership, "the working conditions of women and part-time workers in particular have improved" because of directives and policy initiatives.

"In an increasingly globalised economy, the European social model is in urgent need of revitalisation and reform," she said. "Congress supports the Nice Treaty as another step on the road to developing a more inclusive and fairer European Union."