asked the Minister for Transport and Power if any policy direction has been given to Bord na Móna in connection with the negotiation of a settlement with the trade unions between 24th January and the commencement on 8th February, 1968 of the strike of production workers who are paid a basic time rate of £10 a week.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bord na Móna Strike.
3.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary, or the Minister, care to comment on the action of the board—I presume the information I have asked for will appear in the Official Report in due course—appointed to do a job, who apparently did not consider it any of their business to do anything about a strike, which they knew was inevitable for a whole fortnight and which strike was deferred for a fortnight to enable them to deal with the position?
There is nothing in the question which gives rise to that supplementary.
I should like the Parliamentary Secretary or the Minister to comment.
It is wrong to say Bord Following is the statement:
na Móna did nothing to avert the strike because right from June of last year, they were negotiating through the Labour Court to find agreement on an increased offer, which they subsequently made on 2nd January of this year, and, from their point of view, it was quite a generous offer. It came following negotiations between the unions and the board through the Labour Court. To suggest that Bord na Móna made no effort to avert the strike is, therefore, rather illogical.
The Parliamentary Secretary was not, I think, listening to what I said. I asked him if he considered it reasonable that this board did nothing from 24th January, when the offer was rejected by a majority of three to one, to 8th February? Do the board consider they are facing up to their responsibilities and earning their fees by just, as a former Taoiseach might say, sitting down and doing nothing?
I do not think responsibility is all on one side in this regard.
The trade unions said that they were at all times prepared to discuss the matter and the board did nothing — good, bad, or indifferent.
Except to boast they made £1 million.