• For services rendered to the boss class
• For advising union members to vote in favour of the Croke Park agreement and "acknowledging its importance to the economy"
• Because "Realising the damage that further disruption could cause to Ireland's reputation abroad, he said: "If you have a long industrial campaign...the interpretation of it externally would be that the Government wasn't able to honour its commitments and consequently, the credibility of Government bonds would be very much in question,"
• For his unstinting loyalty (to the State and the important business people who run it) and for his betrayal of those who pay his wages (union members)

"Business & Finance" has nominated none other than Jack O'Connor, general president of Ireland's largest trade union SIPTU as "Business Person of the Month".

Without a hint of irony B&F quotes O'Connor as saying "If the Croke Park deal is accepted, our position is going to be: the people of the public service have stepped up to the mark and have committed to huge sacrifices, now what are the wealthy going to do. If the answer is still nothing, it's going to be a political campaign."

I'd say that's one political campaign that will really scare the shit out of IBEC, the bankers and the developers!!

Truly we live in very weird times.

See the full story at http://www.businessandfinance.ie/bf/2010/5/businesspersonmay2010

Words: Gregor Kerr