Madam, - The recent speech by SIPTU president Jack O'Connor in which he called on Labour and Fine Gael to negotiate a pact for the next general election raises serious questions about how democratic SIPTU is and what say union members have in the political affiliations of the union.
As a broad family, SIPTU should be fairly representative of a wide section of the Irish electorate. The most recent opinion poll showed that parties other than Labour and Fine Gael represent over 60 per cent of that electorate.
It follows that in calling for the Labour/FG pact Mr O'Connor is going outside the mandate given to him on his election as president of SIPTU. The role of a union and of its president is to represent members' best interests and to strike a hard bargain on their behalf with employers and with the government of the day.
As we approach the next general election, a potential conflict of interest arises for SIPTU and its president. As part of the social partnership, Mr O'Connor has an important role to play in ensuring that the lot of the less affluent is improved. To achieve this, SIPTU may have to make sacrifices which may be in line with union policy, and which may reflect well on the current Government, but which may not be in the short-term political interests of an alternative government.
Contrast Mr O'Connor's interpretation of his role with that of the director of IBEC or indeed the IFA president. The occupants of these posts have a similar role in defending the interests of their members and seem to do so very successfully without aligning themselves politically. I suspect that members of these bodies would not want their leaders meddling in the party political world. One could argue that by not aligning themselves with any political party their position is stronger and that their views are more likely to be respected by all parties.
Is it time for SIPTU members to be more questioning of their leaders? - Yours, etc.,
CHRIS ANDREWS, Rathgar Road, Dublin 6.