Businesses across the North are being encouraged to give their employees the opportunity today to take part in the series of anti-sectarianism rallies being organised by trade unions.
Industry leaders have asked companies to facilitate staff that may want to support any of the five rallies, the largest of which is expected to take place at midday in Belfast.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has appealed to all employees in the public sector from postal to emergency service workers and all sectors of private industry to take part in the rallies.
Business bodies met with union leaders earlier this week to discuss the rise in sectarian disturbances, which have already cost the life of 20-year-old postal worker Mr Daniel McColgan from Belfast.
A number of industry leaders had mixed views about the effectiveness of public rallies and were concerned that employees who could be identified supporting the rallies might subsequently become possible sectarian targets.
Some private-sector firms also questioned why a public rally could not be held during a weekend, rather than on a working day. But the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the consensus among business bodies was that employers should support staff who wanted to show their abhorrence of sectarianism.
Business bodies do not expect that the rallies will result in a mass stoppage of commercial life today. They say it is more likely that representatives from firms will attend one of the events and that most employees will return to their workplace in the afternoon.
Mr Timothy Quin, president of the Chamber of Commerce, believes that the rallies should help to convey the mood of the majority of people in the North.
"This sends a message out beyond Northern Ireland that people disapprove very strongly about what is happening in North Belfast. It is an absolute disaster for Northern Ireland."
Both the Confederation of British Industry and the Institute of Directors in the North have also lent support to the rallies by asking their members to allow employees to attend the demonstrations if they wish.
The Federation of Small Businesses said it would close its Belfast office at midday in order to enable staff to attend the rally.
