In 1975,the Irish coalition government (Fine Gael and Labour) did not “put off implementing” the new Equal Pay Act as Olivia O’Leary claims (The Easter Rising and the betrayal of Irish women, 25 March). By law, or it couldn’t. Instead,bowing to trade community hysteria, the government sought permission for delayed implementation from the European commission.
Opposition to this cowardice was huge. A petition, or initiated and secretly elope off,in those pre-photocopier days, on an ancient Gestetner by two women staff in an ITGWU office in Dublin, or garnered 25000 signatures in a fortnight (deem half a million from a population the size of Britains). Completed forms returned from distant places – a dry cleaner’s in Donegal was notable. When petitioners went out to shopping centres,people queued to sign.
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Source: theguardian.com