It is not so very long. The substance of the reply is the history given by the Minister back to 1961 when opportunities were last granted to the staff of the Dublin District Milk Board to have the machinery of arbitration come into play on their application for an increase in salary. At that time a substantial increase was granted. Two years later, the same staff came along again with a fresh application and, for some reason, the Minister considered this an abnormal happening. It was exactly two years after the 1961 increase that the second application was made. It was made in December, 1963. I wanted to be absolutely accurate and that is why I wanted to give the Minister's reply.
At the time the arbitrator's award was given in 1961, it was a substantial award. That indicates to me, at least, that the arbitrator investigating the case was satisfied that the staff of the Dublin District Milk Board had been very much underpaid up to that date. He made his award, bringing the salaries of the people employed up to the salaries in most of the semi-State bodies. Between that date and December, 1963, a further substantial increase was secured by the semi-State bodies to which I referred and that made the staff of the Dublin District Milk Board feel, I believe, entitled to make a further application.
While they were quite satisfied with the award they got in 1961, they felt that, if other semi-State bodies got this additional award, they were entitled to look for another increase. Consequently, they lodged the application in December, 1963. They were brought into the Department. They hoped the invitation meant they would have an opportunity of discussing their claim and having it considered. Apparently, when they reached the Department, it was made quite clear by the officers that they were there merely to listen to the case these people had to make but neither to discuss nor consider the claim. This was looked upon as discourtesy more or less in the circumstances. It certainly did not improve relations.
It is important to remember that this claim was lodged prior to the ninth round and certainly a considerable time before the 12 per cent had been decided upon. I think I am right in saying that the staff of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara were in a similar position. Around the same period, and before the ninth round, they had lodged a claim. Now, they got the ninth round, but they still pursued their claim, and eventually they were granted the facilities of arbitration. When arbitration failed to bring about a result, the Labour Court was brought in.
All the staff of the Dublin District Milk Board are asking for is that their case be considered in a reasonable way and that the machinery available be used to decide whether or not their claim is just. As far as I know, they are quite prepared to accept, without question, the result of any such arbitration. In the course of supplementaries, I said the Taoiseach had stated in this House that there was no reason at the present time why a strike should occur in this country, that we have adequate machinery and that that machinery should be fully utilised before any dispute arose. In this case, the machinery has not been used and I assert the worst possible staff relationship exists at the moment. It is altogether wrong and very irresponsible for a Minister of State to say, as the Minister said yesterday, that he would never allow arbitration in this case.
