Fermanagh Trade Unions Council gets first female chair

THE Fermanagh Council of Trade Unions (FCTU) recently appointed its first ever female chair.
Already a familiar face to many local workers, the history-maker in question is UNISON’s Jill Weir.
Ms Weir was unanimously elected to the position at the recent FCTU AGM. She becomes the first woman to hold the position in the 105 years since the council was established in 1919.
Having worked in the NHS for over 30 years, Ms Weir is secretary of UNISON’s Fermanagh and Omagh Health branch, based at the SWAH, and is well known across the county for campaigning on behalf of our hospital staff and general workers’ rights.
Others elected to the officer board for the year ahead were Andrew Cathers as vice-chair, Donal O’Cofaigh as secretary, taking over from local union stalwart Jim Quinn, and John Martin, who was re-elected as treasurer.
At the AGM, Erin Massey from the NI committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) highlighted the importance of trade unions in protecting and advancing workers’ interests on both the local and national level.
As regional secretary for the Communications Workers’ Union (CWU), Ms Massey also expressed her gratitude to the FCTU for its support in fighting against and trying to reverse the job cuts at BT in Enniskillen.
She also thanked the council for holding a rally for public sector workers last year, which was successful in defending pay parity and helped force the restoration of the Stormont executive.
The meeting also heard reports on a range of other issues, such as pressures on the local health service, cuts to school budgets and special needs provision, access to local toilets, plans to support Pride celebrations, and Royal Mail cuts to local post deliveries.
Mr Quinn raised a motion, that was unanimously adopted, calling for the ICTU and the wider trade union structures to support the Graham family from Fermanagh, who are campaigning to have legislation around the use of dangerous tractors on roads introduced through the existing inspection and grants system.