Margaret Ritchie, the Minister for Social Development paid a visit to Poleglass, in West Belfast yesterday evening to speak with a number of residents, representing resident groups, community orgainsations and well….. just themselves. (Most interestingly perhaps….. a group just set up representing working single parents).
From the SDLP West Belfast office was Alex Attwood, Tim Attwood and myself (responsible for the award winning photos)!!
In the mist of an economic downturn and the inevitable job losses that that results in, Lisburn City Council adopted a position tonight (Tuesday 24 February) to support the improvement of the conditions of temporary workers.
It has become too common for the news bulletins to carry stories of job losses – and everyone knows that when a company is struggling it gets rid of the staff that is the most expendable, i.e. temporary agency workers.
SDLP, led by SDLP Youth has been continuously campaigning for fairer wages and better rights for agency and temporary workers, many of whom are young, long before the recession and downturn. We will continue that fight.
With this back drop, a matter arose in the Council chamber regarding the Coca Cola plant in Lisburn who, just like Bavarian mini, ’dumped’ their agency staff out in the cold and told them to get lost.
After much debate, and an adjournment due to one of those former agency workers being present in the public gallery and verbally expressing his frustration and annoyance at the Coca Cola plant and some political members who he feels failed to help him I made a proposal.
I proposed that Lisburn City Council writes to our Minister for Employment and Learning, Reg Empey, and his counter part in Britain asking them to bring legislation forward that brings temporary workers rights in line with permanent workers rights.
There is no doubting that a change in legislation is long over due – for too long now, temporary workers have been getting a raw deal.
This proposal is a first step; it gained cross party support, thanks to one UUP member’s support and passed.
Let the fight continue….
A sincere thank you to Colin Glen Forest Park staff for allowing and assisting my son to plant a tree (two in fact) in the forest park. My four-year-old son, Matthew received a mountain of Christmas presents this year and along with that came a mountain of wrapping paper.
I am a Director of Colin Glen Trust and the Chief Executive, Tim Duffy, very kindly agreed to allow Matthew to plant a tree to carbon offset any wrapping paper used.
The Parks main aims are to conserve and enhance the biodiversity and wildlife of the forest park, and to provide an open and welcoming community space. It became the first ever Community Park in Ireland to win a Green Flag Award in 2008.
It was explained to him that Santa wants him to plant a tree because he had to use so much wrapping paper. To which the bemused reply came, ‘but wrapping paper comes from the shops, not trees’.
So after a very long explanation about the origins of paper, he finally got it. And had fun too.
There is no doubt that environmental protection and sustainability will be the single biggest issue to face Matthew’s generation, and having the right values instilled in him in this regard is very important to me and his mum.
Again, Thank you Colin Glen Forest Park.
Following events that occured after the previous post, ie a radio Ulster Interview in which a Sinn Fein MLA made an idiot of themself, a few things happened over the weekend:
I have been the target of a calculated and concerted campaign that tried to demonise and discredit me, carried out by a certain group. Threatening and offensive graffiti appeared in my electoral area – Poleglass and Twinbrook.
An appalling use of language. Something my family (who all live in the area) have to now endure, including my four-year-old son.
This is typical republican tactics of demonising and discrediting an individual because they have lost an argument. Sad really that this is all they know. They can’t stand the heat; they can’t stand dissent so they resort to offensive and threatening tactics and to top it all off, its graffiti and vandalism all over our area, an area others and I have worked hard to get and keep clean.
So to those who dislike free speech and dislike dissent and dislike losing the argument, the next time you have an issue with something I say, come and speak to me, don’t go out in the dead of night and ruin the area.
Thinking about it, have you gone and asked SF why one of their MLA’s thinks it’s ok for a Unionist Minister to go into a school and praise and promote the U.V.F.?
