People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin has claimed that the media have ‘missed the bigger story’ in relation to the news that civil service departments led by Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd could see huge job cuts implemented by a company outsourced to clean public buildings.
Low-paid workers at 162 sites run by Stormont departments are facing voluntary redundancies or reduced hours – as a company contracted to provide cleaning services proposes cutting staff and increasing the use of robots.
Councillor Harkin lambasted coverage of the story and in particular how the Stephen Nolan Show has reported the potential job losses.
“Nolan has the biggest team of journalists to make what he calls the ‘Biggest Show in the Country ‘ yet they decided to run a story of huge job cuts as a humourous piece about the rise of robots.
“Nolan played sounds from science fiction TV as he discussed the story, playing workers’ futures for cheap laughs.
“What he and his journalistic team did not cover was the company sacking the workers and how they got here.
“Aramark are a huge American company with strong ties to the US military, border guards and prison system.
“They have seen their profits sore on the back of the suffering of innocent people as the US slides into a darker place than ever under President Trump.
“Aramark’s major share holders are Black Rock.
“BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has come under scrutiny for its investment practices and their impact on human rights, the environment, and social justice.
“Various groups, including Christian organisations, Amnesty International, human rights advocates, and the BDS movement, have raised concerns about BlackRock’s role in perpetuating global injustices.
“BlackRock’s continued funding of fossil fuel companies and those involved in deforestation and land grabs has led to significant human suffering and environmental destruction.
“The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has targeted BlackRock for its investments in companies complicit in Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and violations of international law.
“BlackRock’s investments in companies operating in occupied territories and those involved in military activities in Iraq have been widely condemned.
“Cleaners are being sacked in Derry to make even more money for companies who profiteer from delivering human suffering.
“It is outrageous that our public services under the control of Stormont parties are being sold off to the most unethical and grotesque companies on the planet.
“This scandal lays bare how wedded Stormont is to a failed privatisation strategy.
“The chasing of ‘US Investment’ by the Executive Parties comes at a cost.
“The cost is paid for in blood by the victims of companies like BlackRock in Palestine and by the job losses of public servants in the North.
“People Before Profit will fight to save our public services from vulture capitalists and their friends in our political elites.”
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