asked the Minister for Labour if it is intended to extend the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Act, 1977, to any other semi-State companies or bodies; the companies or bodies to which it will be extended; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Act, 1977.
9.
The Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Bill, 1986, which was introduced in the Seanad in December last has now lapsed. The Bill provided for the extension of worker director arrangements to three further State enterprises — Aer Rianta, An Foras Forbartha and the National Rehabilitation Board. The Bill also made provision for the introduction of sub-board participation in a broad range of State enterprises at the request of a majority of employees.
I am examining the position concerning this Bill with a view to its reintroduction.
The House having been advised by the previous Minister on 4 February 1986 that, in addition, legislation would be introduced to extend the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Act to cover Bord Gáis Éireann, Irish Steel and the Voluntary Health Insurance Board, on the reintroduction of the Bill will the Minister include those three organisations? Has the Minister any proposals to include Radio Telefís Éireann in the provisions of the Worker Participation (State Enterprises) Act?
We are looking again at what semi-State bodies should be involved in. The position is that the last Government, rather than extending the three already in the Bill by three other boards, dropped three from the proposals. I shall review the overall position. There are some people involved in the sub-board structure who at this stage do not want this to go ahead and perhaps others may wish it to. I have asked for some further consultation so that immediately on the introduction of the Bill people will not be seeking a further extension to it. At the same time, I do not wish to delay the procedure. The previous Minister did much work in this area and brought the Bill before the House. I should like to bring it back as soon as possible. If there is not agreement on the area of the sub-board structure and a will to co-operate, there is not much point in having participation. That is why people are undecided. I would follow the view of the former Minister on that.
Could the Minister indicate whether in the range of bodies he has in mind Radio Telefís Éireann, in particular, is one of these? Without making any undue comment, it seems to be a glaring omission by the previous Government and according to the Minister's reply here today in terms of the proposed extension. Could the Minister comment on the lack of agreement? I do not follow the point which he made in his earlier response. It would seem that the primary persons to be concerned in worker participation are the workers themselves. I cannot understand that there would be disagreement among workers about involvement on these boards if and when established. Could there be a timescale indication from the Minister which might help us?
As early as we can. The Bill has been in the House before and we wish to bring it back. I did not see any reference to RTE in any proposal. On the question of disagreement, the whole idea is to prevent workers from having to have recourse to the Labour Court and other areas. Minor difficulties would be able to be sorted out at shop floor level. There must be agreement by personnel managers and shop stewards to a process which allows for that. There is no use in having a sub-floor structure when, every time there is any little disagreement, people go around that. Some of the listed agencies do not seem to have such agreement. I want to review those agencies and perhaps there are others who may have sorted out some arrangements between management and workers since the Minister brought the Bill before the House.
The Minister said he has no proposals in respect of RTE. Would he agree to include RTE in his review of the Bill introduced in December 1986?
To the best of my knowledge, but I would have to check this, I have not seen any reference to a discussion about RTE. This is the first I have heard of that. That does not mean that somewhere there is not a reference to it. I shall check the position.
Would the Minister not agree——
I want to pass from this question. It has been dealt with at length.
Is it the Minister's intention in the reintroduction of the 1986 Bill to extend the provision of the worker participation concept to every semi-State body subject to the agreement of the sponsoring Minister's Department on the one hand, the Department of Labour, and the individual Department to which the State body are accountable? If the Bill is brought in, would it not then be a matter for this House to move, by way of resolution, the extension of worker participation to any State company if the Dáil so decided?
It can be amended, but if some State companies had been put forward in the House without any agreement or discussion, that would not be desirable. There would have to be agreement in advance. The whole idea of participation is to get agreement. To start off by putting in a board would be wrong.
Where there is already worker participation in semi-State companies and there is a likely merger — I refer specifically to NET and Imperial Chemicals — will the Minister guarantee that there will not be any erosion of the position of workers' representatives and that they will not be downgraded in any way as a result of a merger?
This matter is under discussion and I know that the Department of Industry and Commerce are concerning themselves with it. The Department of Labour are keeping in touch on the point the Deputy mentions.