The promotion of social justice must be central to any conversations about a new Ireland, a conference of trade union representatives advocating Irish unity has heard.
The two-day event in Belfast organised by Trade Unionists for a New and United Ireland (Tunui) brought together people from across the island and beyond with the aim of advancing constitutional change.
Tunui, a network of activists that has been around in various guises since the 1980s, was reestablished in 2020 after more than 200 trade unionists signed a letter to the taoiseach calling for preparations to be put in place for potential Irish unification.
This week's event at the St Comghall's Centre in west Belfast, which marked 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, is the group's first major conference.
Speakers included trade union activist Beatriu Cardona from Valencia, Bill Ramsey, convener of the SNP Trade Union Group, Siptu deputy general secretary Gerry McCormack and Frank Connolly, author of United Nation - The Case for Integrating Ireland.
Tunui chair and Forsa director Seán McElhinney told The Irish News that while the official trade union movement does not endorse the promotion of a united Ireland, his group argues that potential constitutional change "offers an immediate opportunity for trade unions to advance a vision for more investment in public services, stronger workers’ rights, and an economy that serves to protect Ireland’s unique climate and biodiversity".
"People clearly want more than what our societies north and south have to offer," he said.
"Constitutional change gives us a unique opportunity to start building something better than this, and we want to promote the importance of social justice in every conversation about our future."
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Mr McElhinney said Tunui's commitment to Irish unity was a "matter of social justice".
"We believe that potential constitutional change offers the most immediate opportunity for the sort of fundamental social transformation required to establish a new, more egalitarian Ireland," he said.
"We believe that some of the worst aspects of social inequality and socio-economic disadvantage facing working people can only be addressed properly by changing how Ireland is governed - north and south."
The Tunui representative said the group would be holding more events at which they would "call on those trade union members and activists, who aspire to a new Ireland, to join our campaign".
"We want to build a base of trade unionists and normal trade union members, who are committed to the promotion of social justice through constitutional change," he said.
