A GREATER degree of trust must be shown by all sides if the peace process is to succeed, according to the Irish Congress of Trades Unions' top official in Northern Ireland. The union's Northern Ireland officer, Mr Terry Carlin, said a lack of trust was the cause of the breakdown in the peace process.
"When you look over that period [from the announcement of the cease fires, it is hard to find anybody who trusted anybody else with one or two honourable exceptions, notably the talks chairman, George Mitchell," he said.
Mr Carlin was speaking after the publication of an ICTU report on its "Investing in Peace" programme, which reviews the state of the peace process and outlines issues which congress says need to be urgently addressed. Securing a complete cessation of violence was the most crucial. "If we could achieve that again, a lot of the rest would follow, like fully inclusive political negotiations and the development of a political plan."
The report, which will be discussed at the ICTU biennial delegate conference in Belfast next week, calls for heady progress to full, inclusive, political discussions/negotiations".
Mr Carlin said ICTU agreed with the timetable outlined by the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, for Sinn Fe' in's entry into talks after an IRA ceasefire, "but like she says, it must be shown in words and deeds". The report also calls for a policing service "transparently and democratically accountable". He was encouraged by views on accountability of the RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, which were in contrast to "the appalling views" of his predecessor.