Dick Spring
Question:7 Mr. Spring asked the Taoiseach if he has any plans to meet the social partners in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Meeting with Social Partners.
At the meeting which I and relevant Ministers had with the social partners in the Central Review Committee on 28 February 1992, we agreed that a number of the issues raised would be followed up between the relevant partner or partners and individual Ministers and that the regular meetings of the Central Review Committee would be continued.
I have no plans to meet the social partners as a whole in the near future but this does not mean that I might not meet individual social partners from time to time on matters of direct concern to them.
Is the Taoiseach aware that there is concern among trade unionists in particular at the new style of management at the heart of many of the trade disputes that have taken place in recent months? Will the Taoiseach take the opportunity to assure the social partners that the Government will not support this new confrontational stance of management here?
I do not understand what the Deputy is referring to. Industrial disputes by their very nature are between management and workers. I have made it abundantly clear here on a number of occasions that both sides should stay sitting around the table until they find solutions to the problems. On the postal dispute they appear to have made a break through at this stage. I hope we will see the finalisation of it in the next few days. I will be meeting the members of Congress shortly. If they have any doubts in that regard, I am sure they will put them to me.
Is the Taoiseach saying that he is not aware of the concern among trade unionists at the confrontational attitude taken by management in the two most recent disputes, the banks dispute and the postal dispute?
It is a matter of interpretation as to what the Deputy is referring to. The Government have always endeavoured to use the labour relations machinery to the fullest. In the banks dispute, the Minister for Labour did not intervene until all the machinery had been exhausted. The machinery had not been exhausted in the postal dispute. I am glad that a breakthrough was found through the machinery at the end of the day. I hope we are on the road to a resolution of the problem.
Is the Taoiseach saying that since industrial peace was a cornerstone of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and we are now experiencing the greatest extent of industrial man days lost for a decade, he does not consider this matter should be put on the agenda for a meeting with Congress and the employer's side?
The Deputy should stick to statistics when he makes an allegation in the House that we are experiencing an unprecedented number of man days lost.
I do not say "unprecedented".
That is not in accordance with the statistics. Industrial peace is the cornerstone of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. We will keep in touch with the social partners in relation to it. The door is always open for us to talk about this. I hope we have seen the last of major breakouts of industrial disputes and that we will return to industrial peace.