Belfast is foreign enough for Aer Lingus
Far be it from me to suggest that the trade union IMPACT are asking the Irish Labour Courts the wrong question deliberately – “The IMPACT trade union has written asking whether the reference in the recommendation to ‘foreign bases’ was intended to include Belfast.” And this isn’t the right question either. The correct question to ask is whether Belfast qualifies as a “foreign base”.. and being in a different political and legal jurisdiction, under a different tax regime and with different labour laws and a different currency would suggest that, from a legal position, the answer will be “Yes.” Which Aer Lingus, no doubt, fully understood when they chose Belfast over Birmingham for its new UK hub. The sooner the Irish Government gets around to making their position clear the better. [Any more words from our local representatives here? - Ed] Also reported here
I think that is defiatley the right question, I was immediatly struck by the reference to Belfast as foreign from Ireland, and one has to wonder why they would even want to even touch on that subject. It also makes me wonder whether those that consider themselves republicans in RoI should be objecting to the move, if they wouldn’t but up a similar fuss if AL decided to shift their services to Sligo or Dublin or Weston.
one has to wonder why they would even want to even touch on that subject.
Fairly simple. Northern Ireland is not within the jurisdiction of the Labour Court. I think that’s what they mean when they say “foreign”.
It also makes me wonder whether those that consider themselves republicans in RoI should be objecting to the move, if they wouldn’t but up a similar fuss if AL decided to shift their services to Sligo or Dublin or Weston.
I agree, the whole thing sounds very partitionist.
“I agree, the whole thing sounds very partitionist.”
To be fair, Comrade, they’d probably put up a similar fuss.. just on different grounds.
It’s ridiculous. The whole mess boils down to the misleading name that the southern state has arrogantly conferred upon itself. Rectify that and we no longer have a problem.
“I agree, the whole thing sounds very partitionist.” – Comrade Stalin
Nothing to do with the reaction – which has focused on the loss to the Shannon region and not to the economy of Ireland.
However, Ireland is in competition with Northern Ireland for inward investment. Naturally, folks on this side of the border would rather that corporation taxes be paid to the Irish state rather than the British Exchequer. Equally, partitionists on the other side would rather the taxes are paid to the British Exchequer. That’s what they signed up for.
“It’s ridiculous. The whole mess boils down to the misleading name that the southern state has arrogantly conferred upon itself. Rectify that and we no longer have a problem.” – beano
It doesn’t have anything to do with trite demands for a secular use of the word “Ireland” – which properly refers to the Republic of Ireland in common use and in its primary definition and not to the island (with a little transitory statelet stuck in the top left corner). Still, if they were harping on about that, it’d be petty sectarian squabbles about Catholic and Roman Catholic or Derry and Londonderry.
The union simply wants to know if it is bound by Labour Court recommendations in the matter of whether or not the Labour Court considers Belfast to be “foreign.” I doubt that Impact actually required the clarification, as its own solicitor would inform it that the Court has no authority in another jurisdiction. It’s just wasting the Court’s time to play politics with the State via the media.
> with a little transitory statelet stuck in the top
> left corner
Donegal?
Dyslexia, sorry.
I doubt if Mick Landers, a cute Kerryman, is under any illusions about where exactly Belfast is with regard to the republic, the de facto one or the dreamtime one.
NI workforces are represented by Dublin unions and London unions depending very often on historical and anachronistic circumstances; which Mick may be in the process of making…….
“I agree, the whole thing sounds very partitionist.”
Comrade:
Partition exists.
Deal with it.
Businesses have to, and here Aer Lingus did.
harpo
Aer Lingus didn’t just recognise partition, they exploited it and showed a benefit of it.