Trade unionists walk out on Secretary of State

Around 20 trade unionists have walked out of a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain during a discussion with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) in County Down today.

The meeting was arranged to allow members to discuss property rate charges and education cuts with Mr Hain.

More than 150 delegates remained in the Canal Court Hotel in Newry, and Mr Hain proceeded with the meeting without interruption.

The walk-out in Newry coincided with a separate rally in Belfast where representatives from Northern Ireland businesses gathered at Belfast's Waterfront Hall to protest over the introduction of full industrial rates charges which could result in the loss of thousands of jobs throughout the province.

Northern Ireland businesses have been exempt from paying full industrial rates for the past two decades, however a recent change in government policy means that from 2011 companies will have to pay the full amount, which could result in around 30,000 people being made redundant in order to compensate for higher expenditure.

Today's protest has been organised by the Northern Ireland Manufacturing Focus Group and is expected to have a cavalcade of lorries and vans parading through the city from the Harland and Wolff shipyard to the Waterfront Hall where a rally will be staged.

The groups campaign has also attracted the support of the main unionist, nationalist and cross-community parties and a delegation of politicians will join them later for a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.

NIMFG spokesperson, Basil McCrea, said that the rates increase will have a devastating effect on the local industry.

Mr McCrea said: "This is not the right decision for Northern Ireland and we hope to bring that to the minister's attention."

He also added that he believed that the government has mis-calculated over the rates, exaggerating the state of Northern Ireland Manufacturings profitability by around £1 billion a year.

He continued: "The fact is that a serious error was made some time ago, based on incorrect figures and a lack of understanding of the impact which this policy would have across Northern Ireland.

"The fact is, every political party which relies on a vote in Northern Ireland is 100% behind us.

"We have brought business in Northern Ireland together in a way never seen before and we are not going away."

Mr McCrea added that it is the job of politicians, whether they are from Westminster or Stormont to create the conditions whereby business can thrive and if this is not achieved then everyone will lose out as there will be no jobs and no taxes.

The decision to phase out industrial de-rating was announced by the government in April 2003 and began in 2005 when the rates bill increased from 15% of the projected bill, to 25% this year.

Finance minister Jeff Rooker defended the move when it was announced saying that the additional money could go towards paying for much needed services in the province.

Lord Rooker said: "It has all been factored into the budget. This year, for example, 25% of the rates bill is raising £20million.

"20 million pounds is approximately the sum we got by sticking the (domestic) rates up 19%. To keep the budget the same we would have to have the rates up 38% if we had not got that £20 million."

The Minister also claimed that the rally was a waste of time and added that those involved could make more use of their time by running their businesses or in the politicians' case, working towards forming a devolved administration to change Government policy.

(EF/GB)