We look at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1985...
SDLP councillors criticised
THE Andersonstown News has learnt this week that the S.D.L.P. in Belfast is experiencing extreme difficulty in winning the support of all its city councillors for a motion condemning plastic bullets.
Since the May election the Nationalist Councillors – seven Sinn Féin and six SDLP – have had, for the first time, the 13 votes needed to convene a special meeting on any subject. The United Campaign against Plastic Bullets had hoped to take advantage of this fact by calling a special meeting with the aim of highlighting the use of the lethal plastic bullet gun. However, it appears that SDLP Councillor Cormac Boomer was unwitting to back any anti-plastic bullets motion unless it also clearly condemns the IRA and Sinn Féin. In response to this development, the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets have written to all the Belfast councillors, asking them to back a special meeting of the City Council to debate a motion which reads: "The Belfast City Council is opposed to the use of plastic or rubber bullets, and calls for their withdrawal and a complete ban on their further use."
This letter to councillors is signed by Emma Groves, who was blinded by a rubber bullet in 1971, Jim McCabe, whose wife Nora was shot dead in 1981, Brenda Downes, wife of John Downes, shot dead by the RUC on the Andersonstown Road last August, Kathleen Stewart, mother of 13-year-old Brian, shot dead by British Army in 1976, and Archie Livingstone, whose 14-year-old daughter Julie was shot dead by a plastic bullet.
Committee spokesperson Emma Groves said the campaign members felt the motion should not be used for party political advantage.
“In May of this year Seamus Mallon attended a public meeting organised by our committee in Conway Mill, and pledged his party's full support for our efforts. We are hoping that the party will now honour that pledge,” she said.
Both the SDLP and Sinn Féin are affiliated to the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets, and SDLP representative on the committee is Councillor Alex Attwood. It is known that Councillor Attwood is politically embarrassed at the inability of his SDLP colleagues to agree on this issue.
Many other community, cultural and civil liberty groups have a special interest in the latest attempt to obtain a united Nationalist front on the Council. Though all proposals put forward by Sinn Féin and the SDLP are certain to be defeated by the Unionist block, they will still ensure maximum publicity for the motion being debated.
Row over travellers’ Glen Rd site
TWO Sinn Féin councillors have lashed out at their political opponents for whipping up an "almost hysterical reaction" to the formation of a new group which will speak for travellers.
Councillors Alex Maskey Teresa Holland accused Alliance and SDLP spokesmen of playing on the genuine concern of local people about the Glen Road travellers’ site.
“We have been fighting to have this issue resolved for three years now", the councillors say, "and our concern both for the travellers and for local people is well known."
The councillors say that the travellers have many genuine grievances about the proposed new site on the Monagh By-pass and that their views must be taken into account.
"We recognise the many serious problems for both the travellers and local people caused by the existing conditions on the Glen Road site," they said.
"We would point out that virtually no services have been supplied on the Glen Road site for many years – especially rubbish collections."
The councillors added: "While much discussion has taken place over the years regarding possible sites at no time were the travellers themselves properly consulted as a group, but were merely represented. The travellers were spoken to only on an individual basis.
"The most positive and welcome aspect of the recent controversy is the fact that the travellers are now formally speaking for themselves. We would appeal to all groups like the Northern Ireland Council for Travelling People to act in a supportive and not in a representative role.
"We condemn outright the opportunist invitation of a petition against the Travellers which was taken up in the Glen Road area. This petition which was organised by Councillor Will Glendenning was designed to whip up unnecessary tension on the Glen Road to pressurise the travellers. We also are critical of SDLP councillor Alex Atwood who spoke of ‘generous funding’ from ‘the Government’ for the Monagh Road site. In actual fact this government funding is a belated response to a longstanding campaign for a properly serviced site.
“Down the years the same government department has neglected the Glen Road site in an attempt to 'punish' the travellers for refusing to move on.”
BRAVE WOMAN: Lorraine Allen with Sid the snake at Martin’s Pet and Garden Centre in Andersonstown
25 jobs lost
AT least 26 jobs are now certain to be lost in the Heritage Crystal Factory.
Last week the 60 workers at the West Belfast plant, who have been working on a two or three day week since March, were told that the American parent company was closing down its crystal interests on both sides of the Atlantic. A rescue plan put forward by the English directors of Heritage Crystal, which would ensure the continued survival of the plant but with a severely reduced workforce, seems set to be approved by the IDB. However, on Monday, 29th July, 26 workers were laid off leaving 30 people still in the factory.
Joint ATGWU shop steward at Heritage Crystal, Jim McCann, says "mismanagement in America" was the blame for the collapse of the firm. He also had harsh words for the role of the Industrial Development Board in the affair. “Our factory always held its own. Production figures were always on the up and shop floor/management relations were good. What has happened is that Heritage Crystal has collapsed around us", he said. "The IDB also has a lot to answer for as it now appears that it had been paying out grants to the company without correctly monitoring its progress.”
