The Belfast office of the ATGWU has confirmed that its former Regional Secretary in Dublin, Mick O'Reilly, has been dismissed.
Irish representative Jim Elsby told RTÉ news that the Union's head office in London had written to Mr O'Reilly and a colleague, Eugene McGloin, on 26 April, confirming their dismissals.
Mr. O'Reilly was suspended by Head Office, pending investigation of a number of allegations of misconduct, on 26 June 2001.
Mr Elsby said that Mr O'Reilly had been found guilty of gross misconduct because of his refusal to observe and adhere to rules and established procedures and policies of the union, and to recognise the authority of the General Executive Council.
He said that the investigation had concluded that the conduct had placed the union in a position of "actual and potential harm". He said that Mr McGloin had been found guilty of acts of deliberate frustration of union policy, which were acts of gross insubordination.
In a statement, Mr O'Reilly said that he and Mr McGluin had co-operated with an internal investigation, during which they had totally and absolutely rebuffed what he called the various charges and non-charges against him.
He described the dismissals as amounting to a political coup d'etat by the London-based leadership of the union, which could never accept the political position of the union membership in Ireland on issues including social partnership and the Nice Treaty.
He said that by sacking him, TGWU General Secretary Bill Morris had chosen to ignore and treat with utter contempt the wishes of the Irish membership of the ATGWU. He said that he would be taking legal advice and considering his right of appeal. He will also be speaking to the members of the ATGWU.
