asked the Minister for Labour the names of organisations he has met up to the present in his current round of meetings with workers organisations; whether a schedule of meetings has been drawn up; if he will state the organisations involved; and whether at this stage it is possible to predict the probable date of the conclusion of oral discussions.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Meetings with Workers Organisations.
29.
Mr. O'Leary
Up to the 17th October I have met the following workers organisations: The Irish Shoe and Leather Workers Union, The Irish National Teachers Organisation, The Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland, The Irish Union of Distributive Workers and Clerks.
As well, I have met one employer organisation, namely, the Federation of Boot Manufacturers of Ireland.
I have written to the following, suggesting dates for meetings: The Federation of Rural Workers Trade Union, The Irish Municipal Employees Trade Union, The Irish National Union of Woodworkers, The Irish Women Workers Union, RGDATA.
I shall be writing to all the unions and organisations individually, inviting them to meet me.
At this stage it is not possible to predict the probable date of the conclusion of these discussions.
Mr. O'Leary
Is the Minister putting a set series of questions to each organisation or is he treating each of them in a particular way?
The meetings are purely informal without any definite questions being fixed beforehand. They mainly give those organisations an opportunity to tell me the problems which they have and to discuss any general problems. Each meeting is purely informal and is without an agenda.
Are the discussions purely on the proposals with regard to what the Minister might want to incorporate in the trade union law?
The discussions cover the very wide range of the activities of the Department of Labour in which unions would be interested. They cover factory work, conditions of employment, manpower policy and such subjects.
The main purpose is to discuss the changes in trade union law?
No. The main purpose is to allow the various organisations to become acquainted with the activities of the new Department of Labour.
Mr. O'Leary
What matters are discussed by the Minister?
Those meetings are designed to make the Department of Labour available for the people for whom it was set up and so that we can all know the problems which exist.
In the discussions which the Minister had with the unions so far was the question of industrial relations mentioned?
This is not relevant to the question.
Discussions of such matters will, as heretofore, be with the ICTU but if those people wish to raise these matters in the discussions with me, they can do so.
Has this matter been raised with the four unions mentioned?
I do not think it would be fair to say so.
Does the Minister appreciate the fact that a peculiar situation can arise where he is going to meet, informally, a group of trade unions and discuss certain matters with them? His officials will probably be taking notes and they can, at a later date, say that this is what a certain trade union wanted done.
I do not think the Deputy is taking the right attitude in regard to this. In fact, the purpose of the Department of Labour is to discuss various labour problems and to try to seek solutions for them. Any attempt by the Deputy to prevent the Department being used by the people for whom it was set up would be bad for labour relations entirely.
Will it not give an opportunity—this will most certainly be objected to by me as well as by many others—to the Minister to try to bulldoze the trade unions?
It certainly will not.
Why is the Minister so evasive in regard to the question which I asked?
What question?
I asked whether industrial law was discussed with individual unions whom the Minister already met. The Minister has not answered that.
There would be some reference to it. I would not like to create a situation where the Deputy, by a supplementary question, would put them on the spot. If the Deputy thinks it is a good thing to create suspicion I think he is wrong.
The Minister is trying to bulldoze those people.
You can put me on the spot but do not try to do so in regard to those people.