A Brexit Adjustment Assistance Fund to support workers most at risk from the impact of the UK leaving the EU must be established, ICTU General Secretary, Patricia King, told the SIPTU Manufacturing Division Biennial Delegate Conference in Castlebar, County Mayo, today (Thursday, 8th November). King said: “Congress has proposed through the National Brexit Stakeholder Forum the establishment of a specific retraining and income protection fund, a Brexit Adjustment Assistance Fund, to support workers most at risk. The fund would be modelled on existing instruments such as the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, which funded support to almost 11,000 workers in Ireland between 2007 and 2016 at a total cost of €75 million." She added: “This new instrument should be developed and implemented with the consultation and participation of trade unions as is the norm in other European countries with a good record in anticipating and managing restructuring and labour market changes.” In her address, to the more than 180 delegates representing workers from across the various manufacturing sectors, SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser, Teresa Hannick, endorsed the call for the creation of a Brexit Adjustment Assistance Fund and highlighted the union’s actions to safeguard members from the impact of Brexit. She said these included working with government agencies, political parties and crucially trade union colleagues from the UK and throughout Europe to seek solutions to problems that workers will face when the UK leaves the EU. “The only certain thing about Brexit is that employers will be looking to take advantage of any crisis”, Hannick said. “As trade unionists, we must work together to be Brexit ready to protect our members’ jobs, wages and terms and conditions.”
SIPTU Conference hears call for new fund to assist workers impacted by Brexit
