asked the Minister for Communications if the Government has decided to proceed with its plans for the break-up of CIE into three different companies; if he is aware of the many objections of trade unions that represent CIE workers to these Government proposals; the steps he proposes to take to meet the objections of the unions; if he proposes to meet the representatives of the CIE workers to discuss their opposition to the Government proposals; and if he is aware that his proposals will lead to unemployment amongst CIE workers.
Written Answers. - Re-Organisation of CIE.
81.
The Transport (Re-Organisation of CIE) Bill, 1986, which provides for the establishment by the board of CIE of three subsidiary companies having responsibility for Dublin city buses, provincial buses and the railways, passed Committee Stage in Seanad Éireann on 12 June 1986 and I expect the remaining Stages to be passed this week.
I have been aware for a considerable time of the concerns expressed by the CIE workforce through their trade unions about the re-organisation of the board and account was taken of them before the Government reached its conclusions on the nature of the re-organisation. In November last I met a deputation from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the CIE group of ICTU unions for a full discussion.
In preparing the Bill great care was taken to ensure that the conditions of employment of the CIE employees to be transferred to the new companies would be fully protected. Furthermore, as an indication of a positive approach to protecting the workers' interests, I agreed to a number of amendments in Seanad Éireann which further clarify the situation.
The re-organisation of CIE in accordance with the Bill will not of itself lead to any reduction in employment in CIE. The board intends to continue to achieve any reductions in numbers employed through natural wastage and the use of existing arrangements agreed with the trade unions, representing the board's staff, concerning redundancies.
The primary purpose of the re-organisation is to so structure CIE as to maximise its chances of success in the future both for the entire group and its component parts; to build on the financial and other improvements of the past three years; and to put behind it the poor industrial relations and escalating losses which marked many years before 1983.