asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give details of his recent meeting with the Irish Airlines Pilots Association; and if agreement was reached on any points raised by the association at that meeting.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Meeting with IAPA.
7.
At my meeting with the Irish Airlines Pilots Association there was an exchange of views on measures to improve international security in aviation particularly the ratification of the Tokyo and Hague Conventions. The position in this regard was given in my reply to a question on the 7th June.
May I ask the Minister was the strike called here in protest against the delay in bringing in necessary legislation?
No. "Strike" is probably the wrong word. The Irish Airlines Pilots Association and all the pilots associations would not perhaps employ the nomenclature "strike". This was essentially a demonstration by air pilots throughout the world in an attempt to get to governments' notice this particular matter. This was made quite clear to me by the people concerned in the pilots association.
Was it before the strike it was made clear to the Minister?
I do not think the Deputy is with it.
I am very much with it.
Essentially, this was not a strike and the members of air pilots associations throughout the world were not concerned with a strike issue. It was a matter of a demonstration on the hijacking issue intended to bring it to the notice of governments. We are——
Ahead of all the others.
Yes.
Why, then, was it necessary to call a strike?
I do not think the Deputy understands trade unionism.
I certainly do.
The Deputy should consult his colleagues.
Was the demonstration in protest against the delay of the Minister in bringing in the necessary legislation?
The Deputy should consult some of his trade union colleagues.
(Interruptions.)
If it was not a strike, what was it? Why did they cease work for a day and why did they have to meet the Minister on that day? Could the Minister tell the House what he discussed with them?
This was a worldwide demonstration.
The Irish pilots went on strike in sympathy——
To show solidarity.
——because the Minister did not move in time. They met the Minister that day and no doubt the Minister made the usual promises, that there would be no trouble and that everything would be all right in future. Is that not what happened?
Question No. 8.