Gemma Weir supporting the Woodburn protest

Serious concerns about threats to north Belfast’s water supply have been raised by Workers Party representative Gemma Weir as a gas and oil company goes on site at Carrickfergus to prepare for exploratory drilling.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment has granted the gas and petroleum exploration company Infrastrata licence to drill at a site 350m from the North Woodburn Reservoir – which supplies drinking water to large areas of north Belfast and other parts of the city

Contamination                                                                                                        “I am extremely concerned about the potential contamination of our local water supply”, Gemma said. “It is beyond belief that Northern Ireland Water is leasing land right beside a major reservoir to a gas and oil exploration company which plans to drill and inject chemicals into the ground adjacent to the reservoir. It is even more alarming that the Department of the Environment has not intervened to halt this pollution threat”, Gemma added.

Congratulating those individuals and groups who have been protesting and raising awareness of the issue Gemma said,

Serious questions                                                                                         “There are serious questions to be answered about the manner in which this licence extension has been granted. I am deeply concerned that no environmental assessment seems to have been undertaken and of course about the potential pollution and health risk this drilling may cause”

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Jobs and skills must be retained

The loss of more than 1,000 jobs at the Bombardier plant in Belfast has been described by the Workers Party as

‘…a further blow to Northern Ireland’s manufacturing base and evidence, if it was needed, that the Assembly has no viable  job creation programme to secure existing jobs and expand the economy’

“This announcement comes in the wake of major job losses in Ballymena and elsewhere marking a rapid decline in Northern Ireland’s manufacturing base”, the statement said.

‘The Assembly has no plan to address these job losses. The First and Deputy First Ministers and a string of MLAs are lining up to say how terrible it is but have no proposals to address the situation.

Not only must jobs be secured and defended but the skills that go with them must be protected and retained in Northern Ireland.

Economic Summit                                                                                                    It is now time for an Economic Summit  involving  the NI Executive, the trade union movement, employers and broader civic society to address and develop an economic and job creation plan for Northern Ireland.

The alternative offered by the Assembly is to sit on its hands and watch jobs, skills and manufacturing know-how haemorrhage away’

The Assembly does not trust women

The Workers Party has expressed its ‘bitter disappointment’ at last night’s vote in the Assembly and the decision not to permit the termination of a pregnancy in cases of foetal  abnormality.

“This is much more than maintaining the status quo, it represents a major step backwards in social policy and a complete dismissal of the rights of women to make their own choices”, the statement said.

“It is quite clear that Northern Ireland is still dominated by socially conservative voices and that these are having an adverse and traumatising effect on local women.

The DUP proposal to establish a commission does nothing but push this debate to the other side of election day and prolong the suffering and anguish of women and their partners”

“We will all have an opportunity to express our views on this and similar issues in the Assembly elections on May 5th. No one should vote for a candidate or a Party that does not trust women”, the statement concluded

#trustwomen

Standing up to Sectarianism

Saturday’s Irish Cup 6th Round match  between Lurgan Celtic and Knockbreda FC saw the unfurling of an anti-sectarian banner, courtesy of the Workers Party in Upper Bann.

Party representative Damien Harte said,

“Local Party members were delighted to be able to sponsor this banner for the cup match.

It is very important that we take every opportunity to stand up to sectarianism and use every public gathering to reinforce our opposition to this social cancer”

“In recent years the Irish Football Association has played a major role in giving sectarianism the boot and I am delighted that the Workers Party in Upper Bann has thrown its weight behind that camapign”, Damien said

The Workers Party is supporting the Ballymena Jobs Rally and is adding its voice to those calling for a secure employment future for the area.

In particular we are calling on the Assembly to launch a co-ordinated and resourced investment strategy, a centrally planned job creation programme and real, secure and well paid jobs the Ballymena and wider Antrim area.

That is a task that must be taken on by the Assembly – not left to the whim of the private sector.

The Assembly has bent over backwards to reduce corporation tax for big businesses and is prepared to pay for that by slashing university places and the skills and training budget.

Northern Ireland needs a highly skilled and qualified workforce but the Assembly would rather give tax breaks to the rich than invest in  young peoples’ futures and secure well paid employment.

The Workers Party has said consistently that only a programme of public investment will turn the economy around and provide the jobs that will sustain and develop it.