Deputy Eamon Gilmore has been given permission to raise on the Adjournment the question of the dispute at RTE which has led to the indefinite suspension of the orchestras. The Deputy has five minutes.
Adjournment Debate. - RTE Dispute.
I wish to thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. Last Friday the entire membership of the two RTE orchestras were indefinitely suspended. The musicians have now balloted for strike action and I understand that the strike proper is due to take place shortly. I do not propose to deal with the issues involved in this dispute but to talk about the causes and the consequences of the dispute.
The cause of this dispute arises directly from the Broadcasting Act which was put through this House by the Government last summer. We warned at the time that areas of RTE activity, such as the orchestras, would be affected by that legislation. Already the RTE Chamber Choir has been disbanded and I fear that this dispute is the beginning of the end for the two RTE orchestras. The working conditions which RTE are now seeking to impose on the musicians will destroy the orchestras, cut off employment opportunities for young musicians and greatly damage the future of music here. Top class musicians, such as those we are proud to have in the National Symphony Orchestra and the RTE Concert Orchestra, will not tolerate such conditions. Gradually, many of them may leave, they may be snapped up by orchestras in other countries and the result will be a greatly diminished National Symphony Orchestra.
The inter-changeability of musicians between one orchestra and the other which RTE are seeking, and which is at the centre of this dispute, will directly cut off the main employment opportunities for young musicians here. Young musicians have generally relied on the casual vacancies which arise from time to time in either of the two orchestras for their initial experience of working in a large principal orchestra. Unfortunately, if those opportunities are cut off the employment opportunities for those musicians will also be cut off. It would be a great tragedy if this year, when Dublin is European culture capital, was marked by the decimation of one of our most prized cultural resources, the two orchestras in RTE.
At this stage of an industrial dispute it is not normal to ask a Government Minister to intervene but there are a number of compelling reasons why the Minister should do so. First, if the suspension of the orchestras continues indefinitely and if the all-out strike which is threatened takes place, it may well be too late at a later stage to intervene and cause the dispute to be resolved in a way which would maintain the orchestras. I fear that if the suspensions continue and the dispute escalates, the future for the orchestras will be very bleak indeed. I do not think I am in any way exaggerating in saying that. That is the reality.
Secondly, there is a very compelling reason why the Minister should intervene in this dispute at this stage. The circumstances which have given rise to this dispute arose directly from Government action, from legislation which was put through this House by the Government. At the time the Government said it would not have serious consequences for RTE or their services, despite the fact that the future of the orchestras was one of the areas identified at the time as being in possible danger. There is an obligation on the Government, and the Minister, who were responsible for introducing the Broadcasting Bill which brought about the circumstances that led to this dispute, to intervene and cause it to be resolved. The Minister should ask RTE to immediately lift the suspension on the musicians, to return to the negotiating table and negotiate a settlement of the issues which are in dispute between the musicians' union, SIPTU, and the management of RTE.
The dispute involves 11 employees and concerns new working arrangements which would require members of the symphony and the concert orchestras to play together on a number of occasions each year. The musicians were suspended for three days from Thursday 31 January when they refused to merge for a concert on Friday, 1 February. Conciliation talks under the Labour Relations Commission were held on Thursday, 31 January to try to reach a settlement, but were unsuccessful. The three-day suspension was then extended to an indefinite suspension which, management say, will not be lifted until the issues in dispute have been resolved. Further conciliation talks were held on Monday, 4 February, but again without success.
I want to assure the House that the services of the Labour Relations Commission, the body which have been dealing with this issue over the last week, will continue to be available to the parties at any time and any place. I would ask both sides to listen to what Deputy Gilmore and I have been saying, to re-examine their position and enter meaningful discussions. It is unlikely as in all disputes, that either side will collapse; both sides will be required to come back to the negotiating table so that they can resolve the dispute. The Labour Relations Commission will remain on stand-by to help with the parties in their difficulties and will be glad to assist them in any way they can.