Good luck to this afternoon’s demonstrators

Word is that later today the Belfast Westlink,  Sandyknowes  Roundabout and the area around Sprucefield will be blocked in a similar manner to the blockades in the South which convinced Micheál Martin to cough up considerable sums to ease the pain being endured by hauliers, farmers and other groups affected by the ballooning of oil prices.

It’ll be interesting to watch the response in NEI for several reasons.

For one, it’s raining. Few things douse the fire of demonstration so quickly as rain. So good luck lads, weather-wise.

Secondly, the Westlink in Belfast has been often compared to the late George Best: blocked by four in the afternoon. That’s without demonstrations. What it’ll be like with them must make those in charge shudder.

But the wider question is more interesting than any example: have protesting groups- like the South’s hauliers and farmers  – got the right to block roads and create inconvenience?

Micheål Martin thinks definitely not. He claimed to be happy to talk to officials from the farmers union or the hauliers union, but not a self-appointed group of hauliers or farmers such as those who were blocking Southern arteries.

Micheål may not have spoken to them but he still coughed up the required cash.

But do we all accept that only officials appointed by trade unions of one kind or another can lead direct action like road blockage?

On the face of it you’d think No – unions exist to speak for the members of that group.

But put yourself in the shoes of hauliers or farmers who are simply going to go out of business if there isn’t money forthcoming. Unions are highly desirable but they tend to be bureaucratic – by the time your plea persuades them to act, you’ll be out of business. Whereas if you by-pass all that and get out there with like-minded people, you’ve at least some chance.

If unions were responsive to members’ wishes,there’d be no need for “self-appointed groups” (Micheál’s wording) to take direct action. But if I were in the shoes of the protestors, I’d almost certainly say “FFS” to my union and get out there. Every unelected protestor indicates how timid our unions are.