Unionists have to be assured Cupboard seats in united Eire 

There must be a guarantee of cabinet seats for trade unionists from the north in a unified Irish government, Labor leader Jack O’Connor will say today.

In a May 1 address to the party’s union membership, Mr. O’Connor, a former head of the Irish Union Congress, calls for the guarantee of a significant number of union ministers in all governments in a future “divided Ireland” in the event of the union.

In his speech, seen by the Irish examiner, Mr. O’Connor will also advocate the retention of delegated authority in the north, with the provision for “one opposition” but with cabinet posts that will be distributed “strictly 50:50” in a cross-community administration.

O’Connor assists FF TD with a new constitution

Recalling a recent speech by Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan on the need for a new constitution and unionist ministries in the event of unification, Mr O’Connor will say that he “strongly supports” these proposals.

“Most importantly, he proposes that ‘unionist’ ministers be called for in all post-reunification governments. He also advocates maintaining the current regulations for the recognition of British and Irish citizenship as well as an increased “east-west” dimension. I strongly support this, “he will say:

In addition, I believe that a new constitution should lay down a significant minimum requirement in terms of the number of unionist ministers and the proportion of cabinet seats they would occupy in order to avoid any suggestion of bogus figures.

These provisions should be backed up by calling for majorities in both communities across the island to be changed at every referendum, O’Connor argues.

It is essential that concerns that determine the real quality of life are not diverted into a symbolically meaningful and highly emotional confrontation over hymns, flags and emblems between the competing nationalisms, so that they can be skillfully parceled out in sophisticated phrases by skilled constitutional wordsmiths.

“Our job, however, is to assert the centrality of the issues that determine the quality of life for all people on this island. Therefore, today, on International Labor Day, I urge you to turn to trade unionists in the North and South and other leftists to promote the idea of ​​a common platform for this purpose and to avoid any semblance of sectarian majoritarianism, ”he said to say.

The proposal for such a platform must involve a complete break with the past and outline a formula for the division of our island based on the principle of absolute and complete equivalence, Mr O’Connor will say.

He will propose that these principles could be endorsed by the people of the republic in a referendum before any border poll.