We, trade unionists from the Irish Labour Movement, express our solidarity and support for refugees and asylum seekers who have been subjected to inhumane attacks in recent weeks and months.

We reject the lies and disinformation which has been spread by those who seek to divide our communities and workplaces.

We understand that ordinary workers and members of our community are suffering right now, due to a housing, healthcare and a cost of living crisis. These multiple crises have been caused by political decisions made by Irish politicians and not by those fleeing war and persecution.

We recognise the familiar efforts to misdirect our anger towards our most vulnerable. This misdirection benefits our government who continue to implement their regressive policies while blame is apportioned to refugees and asylum seekers.

It wasn’t migrants who left 166,000 homes empty during a housing crisis.

It wasn’t refugees who forced almost one million people onto hospital waiting lists.

It wasn’t the profiteering of asylum seekers who increased our energy and grocery bills.

And it isn’t foreign workers who are driving down wages and conditions of employment; that occurs due to denial of our human right to collectively bargain with our employers.

Everyone has the right to seek asylum. Right now in our communities we have refugees who have fled persecution and even death for their race, religion, nationality, sexuality or their political opinion. Not only do we have a legal obligation to help these people, the fact that Ireland is partly responsible for the destabilisation of many nations through the use of Shannon airport by the US military, means we have a moral responsibility to help them.

In our retail, hospitality, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and other sectors, we work side by side with new and former refugees and asylum seekers. They are our neighbours. They are our friends. They are our families. They deserve to be treated with the dignity and respect that we expect for ourselves and our families, both here and overseas.

As trade unionists we recognise that our division weakens us and benefits others. We must work together to improve our collective living standards and that means welcoming our new brothers and sisters into our struggle for a more egalitarian Ireland.

We are calling on all trade unionists and trade union activists to mobilise for a national show of solidarity to refugees and asylum seekers on Saturday, 18th February 2023 at the Garden of Remembrance.

Together we are stronger.

Aaron Downey – TUI
Aaron Nolan
Aarron Marshall NIPSA and ICTU youth
Adam Murray – NIPSA
Agnese D’Anna – FSU
Aishling Silke – SIPTU 
Alex Homits
Alice McLarnon
Aliyson McLarnon
Alyson McLarnon
Amy Moran – Fórsa
Amy Ward
Andrew Mannion – Mandate
Andrew Phelan – ASTI
Andy Pike – Fórsa
Anthony McIntyre – Independent Workers Union
Anton McCabe – National Union of Journalists and Omagh Trades Union Council
Aoife O’Brien – PNA
Azzy O’Connor – Unite, Praxis: The Artists Union of Ireland 
Brendan Kinsella – SIPTU
Brendan O’Reilly – NIPSA
Brian Campfield 
Brian Hanley – IFUT
Brian Kelly – UCU
Brigid Purcell – Unite
Caitleen Desetti – FSU
Caitríona Ní Chatháin – TUI
Carol McSherry – Fórsa
Christy McQuillan
Ciaran Campbell
Ciarán McKenna – SIPTU
Ciaran Nugent – NERI
Claire Brennan – CWU
Claire O’Connor – SIPTU
Clem Bradley – Independent Workers’ Union
Cllr Dean Mulligan – Fórsa
Cllr. Daithí Doolan – Unite
Colm Kinsella – Unite 
Colm O’Brien – Irish Equity/SIPTU
Conor Kelly – SIPTU. 
Conor McCabe
Conor McCarthy
Criodán Ó Murchú
Cristina Diamant – IWU
Daniel Rhoads
Danny Scott
Darren Kelly – CWU
Darryl Horan Unite
David Gibney
David Mulholland – NIPSA
Davy Kettyles – Unite
Dean Scurry
Deborah Coyle
Deirdre Cronin INTO
Denis Keane – Fórsa
Denise Curran
Denman Rooke – GWUI/FSU
Des Derwin – SIPTU, executive member Dublin Council of Trade Unions
Des Fagan – Fórsa
Des McGuinness – SIPTU
Diarmaid Mac a Bhaird – Fórsa
Diarmuid O’Connell – CWU
DLR Branch – Fórsa
Dorothy Grace Laity – Equity/SIPTU 
Douglas Carson – SIPTU
Dylan Archbold – Fórsa
Eamonn Farrell -NIPSA
Eileen Kerins – Fórsa
Emer Mangan – INTO
Emilio Maira – Unite
Emma Cutlip
Emmet Mc Grane – Unite
Eoghan Fox
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin – Unite 102 branch
Eugene McCarton
Eva Mitchell – SIPTU, ICTU Youth Committee, EFFAT youth committee
Fergal Twomey – IWU
Finbar Lynch – Fórsa
Fionn Daly – Unite Des Bonass 102 branch
Francis O’Reilly – IWU & SIPTU
Gareth Murphy
Garry Russell – Unite
Gary Baus – Praxis: The Artists Union of Ireland
Gary Honer – Fórsa
Gerard Black
Gerard Halligan
Gerry Deane – Forsa.
Glenn Fitzpatrick
Gregor Kerr – INTO
Harry Smith
Harun Šiljak – IFUT
Helen O’Keeffe
Hillary Darcy – Unite
Jacinta Woods – PNA
Jack Ferguson – SIPTU
James Callaghan – FSU
James Farrar – General Secretary ADCU
James McCabe – Unite
James Moraghan – INTO
James O’Keeffe – SIPTU
James Rabbitte – Mandate
Jamie Murphy
Jana Lyons – INTO
Jessamine O Connor – TUI
Jesslyn Henry – Fórsa
Jim Quinn – Unite
Jimmy Doran
Jimmy Nolan
Joan Collins TD – CWU
Joann Keenahan – INTO 
Joe Conroy – Unite
Joe Horgan – PNA
Joe Mooney – SIPTU
Joe O’Regan – IWU
John Barry – University and College Union
John Bohan – FSU
John Carty
John Cian McGrath – SIPTU
John Cronin – Irish Actors Equity
John Douglas – Bray Trades Council
John Kelly – Fórsa
John McLaughlin – Unite
John Meehan
John Whipple
Josie Hailey
Julie Harper Fórsa
Karen Dervan – SIPTU
Karen Gearon – Shop Steward, Dunnes Stores Anti-Apartheid Strike
Kate Mackel – PCS
Kate Mooney – TUI
Kate O’Sullivan – Fórsa
Kate Relihan – INTO 
Kate Twohig – TUI
Katie Morgan – Fórsa
Keith Murdiff – Unite
Keivan Jackson – Forsa
Kerry Fleck – CWU
Kevin Creagh – Fórsa
Kevin Fahy – Mandate
Kieron Connolly – Bray Trades Council
Kiran Emrich – Mandate
Laura O’ Kane – TUI
Lauren O’Rourke – SIPTU
Linda O’Sullivan – Fórsa
Lisa Foran – IFUT
Lisa Mackel – NIPSA
Liz Deasy – Dunnes Stores Anti-Apartheid Striker
Lorna Bogue – An Rabhartas Glas – Green Left
Louise O’Hara – UNISON
Lucas Spiro – Fórsa
Lynda Walker-Union UCU/Belfast Trades Council
Maggie Ryan – Fórsa
Mags O’Brien
Máire Lineen – INTO
Maire Ni Cheallaigh – INTO
Manuelle Ratte – Fórsa
Mark Kerins – Fórsa
Mark Walshe – ASTI
Martin Grehan – Fórsa
Mary Manning – Dunnes Stores Anti-Apartheid Striker
Mary Sheridan – Fórsa
Matt Waine – Unite
Maura Flanagan – Fórsa
Mebh McDaid – UCU
Mehak Dugal – Fórsa
Memet Uludağ – Unite – BAEM Chair
Michael Kerrigan – Fórsa
Michael O’Brien – ITF
Michael Taft – SIPTU
Micheál Pierse
Michelle Byrne
Michelle Ryan – ASTI
Michelle Ryan – INTO
Mick Halpenny
Molly Hennessey – Unite ESPA Branch
Muireann Dalton
Niall Shanahan – Fórsa
Niamh Liddane
Nolan MacGregor
Noreen O’Sullivan
Noririn Greene
Oisín Dolan – Unite
Ollie Power – TUI
Paddy Cole 
Paddy Mackel – BTC
Paddy Mackel – Unite
Pàdraig Mailey – UNISON
Pat Fallon
Patrick McCusker – TSSA
Paul Doran 
Paul Mac Sweeney – Fórsa
Paul Murphy TD
Peter Melrose – INTO
Polly Donoghue – Asti
Rachel Coyle
Rachel Kiersey – Fórsa
Rafal Hojna
Richy Carrothers – Fórsa
Róisín McKane – Fórsa
Róisín Ryder – SIPTU
Roland Kennedy
Ross Lopes-Lister – Unite
Ruairdhí Kiersey – Praxis
Ruairi Creaney
Ryan McKinney – Fórsa
Ryan O’Sullivan – INMO
Sam Galvin
Samantha Murphy – INTO
Samuel Whitfield
Sandra Fay – ASTi
Sandra Stapleton
Séamus Farrell – Unite
Seamus Ryan – Fórsa
Sean Byers – Unite
Sean McElhinney – Fórsa
Seán Ó hArgáin – INTO
Shane Lambert – Fórsa
Sheila Flynn – ASTI
Sian Muldowney 
Siobhan Ní Churrain
Siúirtán Ó Priongalóid
Stephen Cassidy
Stephen Lewis – SIPTU
Stewart Reddin – SIPTU
Stiofán Ó’Nualláin – Unite
Theresa Maloney
Therese Caherty – NUJ
Thomas Pringle TD
Tom Murray – IWU
Tony Lucey – CWU
Tony Meehan 
Zoë Lawlor – Unite

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