Conference tallis::celt

1374.0. "Balanced Irish news" by ESSB::PBUTLER () Tue May 03 1994 07:50

This is what was considered newsworthy in the Republic of Ireland today.

The sequence of articles reflects their relative ranking on the front page 
of todays Irish Times newspaper and (I suggest) their relative importance.
                                                                           
"Mandela offers the hand of friendship"
Report on South African elections, has been widely covered in Ireland.

"150,000 turn out to wish the ICTU happy 100th."
Irish Congress of Trade Unions celebrates 100 years with a parade in Dublin
yesterday, the May Day public holiday.  Good humoured event. ICTU negotiates
centrally with Government for most unionised workers in Ireland. Of interest
perhaps was that Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) donned a blue workers 
overall and walked in the parade and the Government met the cost of running 
the parade.  ICTU participated in agreeing an agreed 3 year plan with the
Government this year which has helped create a stable economic environment.

"Strike threat lifted as unions, Irish Rail agree to new talks".
All trains and most buses in Republic of Ireland operated by state companies.
Companies need to increase productivity to fund upgrade of services but have
historically poor productivity. Want to extend one-man buses and introduce
technology which unions want compensation for. 

"Spring accuses Adams of rhetorical games".
Dick Spring (Irish Foreign Minister) accuses Gerry Adams of demanding 
clarification from British/ Irish Government while being unwilling to say
what exactly needs to be clarified before IRA would cease violence (a 
precondition to any talks between British Government and Sinn Fein).