DUP has shown true colours
February 14 2023 will be noted by not only the more than 130 people (of all religions) in Northern Ireland waiting for an organ transplant but those further afield – including Westminster MPs – when they saw the DUP, after being backed into a corner by the Secretary of State, all but say their true reason for not allowing Stormont to nominate a speaker to enable ‘ Dáithi’s Law’ to progress and provide hope for those waiting for an essential life-saving transplant – one must remember this IS potentially, and likely life-saving legislation. Paul Givan of the DUP stated in Stormont, in front of the cameras, that everyone supports the proposed law, in reference to the one item of business previously agreed to be discussed, should a speaker be nominated. Anyone from outside Northern Ireland would say “great, let’s do it”, but sadly this is Stormont and things are never simple or transparent here. Given that Paul Givan says he and his party agree with the proposed Dáithi’s Law leaves no doubt as to the true reason for not agreeing with everyone else on the day and supporting the nomination of a speaker. It is simply they will not do any business with Michelle O’Neill as First Minister, not even this one life-saving piece of legislation on one effective business day in Stormont.
The protocol is simply a now worn-out excuse by the DUP and the true ‘litmus test’ shows Orange as being the dominant colour without a shadow of a doubt.
It is now clearly time for a permanent amendment as proposed by the leader of the Alliance Party, Naomi Long, who has suggested that if a party does not agree with the majority of other parties, instead of having a veto to block they should have the option to abstain or walk out to let others conduct business, which is what they are being voted in to do and well paid for the privilege.
HENRY McARDLE
Co Armagh
Insult to striking workers
I have been a trade unionist for 46 years. I have attended The Hazards Conference in Keele University many times and listened to the stories of families talking about the death of a loved one as a result of their work.
My father was a trade union representative in Belfast shipyard in the 1950s and 60s – a tough place for a Catholic at the best of times but he earned the respect of his colleagues because he treated them all as equals.
Up until his death in 2009 he was still attending tribunals to give evidence about asbestos, not for trade union members but on behalf of deceased members’ families.
Worldwide work-related incidents and illnesses kill more people each year than war. Trade unionists, like their members, make sacrifices.
The Tory government, with the assistance of some of our own MPs, would gladly do to all trade unions what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners.
Industrial action is taking place across England, Scotland, Wales and here. Workers in many services are left with no choice but to take to the picket lines due to the cost-of-living crisis, lack of funding, recruitment and decent contracts. Taking to organised picket lines and losing a day’s wages is a principle that the Tories could never defeat.
Union solidarity is another principle that the Tories have tried to demonise and divide.
I congratulate all those trade union members who have made sacrifices in the last few months. Our history is littered with trade unionists who went way beyond these principles and died for their beliefs. I and many of my colleagues did not join the recent Unison picket lines at the Royal Victoria Hospital because of these beliefs. We still sacrificed our wages without sacrificing our principles.
In a cost-of-living crisis how much money was spent by PBP on posters around the Royal, the Mater, Carlisle Centre, Beechall, The Groves/Reilly Corner and other places in aid of political gain.
What an insult to striking workers and their sacrifice but also to the memory of our deceased trade union leaders.
PAT NEESON
Belfast BT15
Indictment against humanity
George Workman (February 14) notes how prejudice and hostility to Jews has often been cynically covered up. Far-right nationalists, of every shape and form, plus Marxists and other leftists, have all at different times or in different places tried to justify ill-treatment of Jews. The persistence of the Jewish community’s witness, not to mention the miraculous re-emergence of a new Jewish state in Israel, point us to a people who attract unprecedented abuse wherever they go. Yet they quite incredibly manage to survive, even against all
the odds.
A small minority of 19th century evangelicals predicted the return of Jews to Israel, but they probably appeared utterly barmy for holding to this belief. The vast majority of their contemporaries possibly had good reason to discount such a wild sounding idea.
Yet the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948 did really happen and no-one can dispute this. The ill-treatment of Palestinians by Israel is a disgrace, and honourable calls from the international community for many decades have not seen any fair settlement emerge. The horrific ill-treatment of Jews, as described so eloquently by George Workman, is an indictment against humanity. The abuse being heaped upon innocent Palestinians is also ugly and immoral beyond words.
JAMES HARDY
Belfast BT5
Organ donation should be a gift
Organ donation should be just that, a donation, a gift.
This proposed opt-out legislation is more like a demand. There was nothing wrong with the present system – put your name on the organ donor list if you wish to donate.
However, this freely-deciding approach did not yield enough donors and now a means must be found to, I believe, enforce ‘donation’; also, partly because of organ rejection many patients require more than one attempt of organ transplantation.
Many do not wish to become either a donor or a recipient. This is their informed choice and does not equate with being selfish.
Consider the shambles of far too many computer systems. Opt-outs may fail to be recorded and, in any case, in other parts of the British isles opting out has proved to be quite complicated.
I.A. CORR
Greyabbey, Co Down
