Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 17 Aug 1921

1. The renewed activity of the British Military Administration has interfered with the activity of this Department in common with other Departments of Dáil Eireann. The only correspondence which is allowed to dribble through the English Postal System are the query forms giving the figures as to the price of Agricultural produce consumed as food, and the wages and hours of employees.

2. The Labour Committee were summoned to two meetings, namely, on the 9th September and on the 7th October —the latter meeting proved abortive for want of a quorum.

3. On the 23rd August the Ministry gave their approval to the proposal of the Committee to set up a National Conciliation Board for the settlement of Trade Disputes, and on the 11th September notices of the establishment of the Board appeared in the Daily Press. Simultaneously, notices were issued to Trades' Societies, Farmers' Unions, and Employers' Associations to the same effect. Every Sinn Féin Cumann and Comhairle Ceanntair were likewise notified.

4. At the meeting of the Committee on the 9th September it was decided to collect statistics as to the comparative price of agricultural produce used for consumption as food, particulars as to burdens on the producer which have tended to increase the cost of production, and the wages and hours of employees in Agricultural, Industrial, and Commercial Pursuits, taking the present year with that of 1913; and accordingly, Forms were issued to all Sinn Féin Cumann and Farmers' Unions asking for the required information. A considerable number have come to hand from different parts of the country. When complete records are received, it is intended to schedule area groups that show an approximate level in regard to prices and conditions and consult with the various interests in these groups with a view to the promotion of a more stable condition of affairs in the employment of labour.

The following summary gives the result of the activities of the National Conciliation Board to date:—

(i.)Pending before the Board:—

Dublin Bead Works Strike (wages and output).

Mallow Guardians (wages).

(ii.)Satisfactorily Settled:—

E.& J. Burke and their Employees

Bottlemakers and the I.T. & G.W.U.

(iii.)Application to the Board to intervene by the Employees—offer refused by Employers:—

I.T. & G.W.U., Dungarvan,v Employers.

Agricultural Labourersv Farmers' Union, Carrig, King's Co.

(iv.)Direct intervention by the Board —offer refused by one of the Parties:—

Agricultural Labourers (accepted)v Kildare Farmers' Union (refused).

Grave Diggers (accepted)v Cemeteries Committee (no reply).

(Signed) P. O SIOTHCHAIN,

Rúnaidhe.

With reference to Paragraph 4 of same, about a month ago I got back the returns; they had evidently been lost or mislaid as a result of enemy action.

On the 7th July, 1920, I was appointed Secretary to the Labour Department by Madame Markievicz. Previous to that date I have records of the successful intervention of the Minister in association with Mr. Art O'Connor, T.D. in serious disputes in the counties of Kerry, Kildare, and Meath, and I shall now give a resumé of the working of the Department from the 7/7/20 to the 26/9/20, the date on which the Countess was arrested.

The balance of the month of July was taken up in securing premises, furniture, and staff for the Department, so one might say that real work did not commence until the beginning of August. In that month, having ascertained that the enemy Government contemplated establishing machinery for the purpose of dealing with the salaries and wages of public officials, the Minister for Labour circularised all the Public Authorities in Ireland suggesting a scheme for the amicable settlement of disputes that might arise between such bodies and their officials or employees. I attach a copy of this scheme (Appendix A). Except in a few instances, those Public Authorities which pledged allegiance to Dáil Eireann adopted the scheme.

In August a Conference at which the Minister for Labour, the Teachta for St. James's, Mr. Joseph McGrath, and myself attended, was held to consider the question of State Insurance, and it was unanimously agreed that Dáil Eireann could not undertake a scheme of State Insurance at that time, but it was recommended that all Approved Societies under enemy Acts should transfer their investments from Government Stocks into Irish Trustee Stocks.

At the beginning of September, 1920, it was decided to open a bureau for the purpose of finding employment for men who resigned from the R.I.C. from patriotic motives. On the 9th September, 1920, Mr. J.M., ex-R.I.C.-man, Listowel, who resigned from that force on hearing instructions issued by Col. Smith on his visit to that town, was appointed Secretary. Unfortunately, though he worked very conscientiously, his efforts met with very little success.

A bureau was also established to find work for members of the I.R.A. and Cumann na mBan who, through victimisation or other causes, had been forced to leave their employment.

Miss Lily O'Brennan was placed in charge of this bureau. In this work she was eminently successful, and succeeded in securing employment for a considerable number of applicants.

During the period in review, viz., 7th July to 26th September, 1920, the Department of Labour intervened on thirty-one occasions where disputes had arisen between employers and employed. On the date of the Minister's arrest, fourteen of these cases had been settled in a satisfactory manner. In five cases intervention of the Department was not accepted by one or other of the Parties concerned, and in the remaining cases (12) negotiations were in progress.

Mr. McGrath, T.D. was appointed substitute Minister for Labour at the end of October, and he was arrested on the 2nd December. During that period the work of the Department was carried on as usual, and the number of disputes on the date of his arrest in which the Department had intervened had risen from thirty-one to sixty. In thirty-two of the sixty cases settlements had been reached, twenty were being dealt with, two unsuccessful conferences had taken place, and the number of unsuccessful attempts at intervention had risen from five to six. During this period, the Convention of the Self-Determination League of Great Britain was held in Manchester on the 27th November, and Mr. Mee was sent across with a view to getting in touch with our friends on the other side who might be able to secure employment for those ex-policemen whose bona-fides had been ascertained. He was away for one month, and during that period he received enormous promises of support—in fact, on his return he was satisfied that within a short period one hundred (100) of these men would have been "placed" in England. Unfortunately, the slump in English trade and industry at that moment commenced to become more and more acute, with the result that instead of being able to find positions for any police refugees from Ireland, thousands of our own countrymen across the water lost their own jobs.

From the beginning of December to the end of January the routine work of the Department was carried on as usual, and on the 20th January I submitted to the Ministry a short summary of the work of the Department, and the position on that date was as follows :—

(a)Analysis of Disputes.

State of Affairs on the 20th January, 1921.

(b)Employment Agency.

I.V. Section.

Police Section.

The above report is a concise and accurate resumé of the work of the Department as far as the records in my possession allow. I would like, in bringing it to an end, to make special reference to the invaluable assistance received from the Ministers for Agriculture and Trade and Commerce, who, during the period that the Department was without a Minister, helped me greatly with their advice.

(Sd.) R. Mac Coitir, Rúnaidhe.

APPENDIX A.

CONCILIATION BOARDS.

The Labour Department of Dáil Eireann recommended that each Local Board should invite its employees to join them in forming a permanent Conciliation Board to meet when required for the purpose of discussing and arriving at an amicable settlement of such questions as the advance of wages, length of working hours, and other questions that may arise between employers and employed; such Conciliation Boards to consist of two or more representatives of the Local Board and two or more representatives of the Officials or Employees.

A neutral Chairman to be appointed who shall be agreeable to both parties —(Clergymen of all denominations are eligible). Failing such agreement, Chairman to be appointed by the Minister for Labour. The expenses, if any, to be paid off the rates.

Conciliation Boards. In March last a scheme for the erection of Local Conciliation Boards was issued to all the Councils in Ireland. Up to the present we have received notification that the scheme was considered by 88 Public Bodies; of this number 70 adopted the scheme; 5 adjourned its consideration; 13 considered it unnecessary or marked it “Read,” and one retained it for further reference.

Finance. The amount expended in the ordinary work of the Labour Department from 1st February, 1921 to 31st July, 1921, amounted to £150, but there are a few small items owing in respect of fees; £200 will, however, cover everything.

Unemployment. Offices have now been taken for a Bureau for the relief of Unemployment, and the co-operation of the Irish Labour Party has been promised, and I have hopes that with the new fillip given the Irish industries as a result of the British Boycott, unemployment will be considerably decreased. This Bureau will also tend to make the Labour Department the logical arbitrator where disputes and strikes occur between employers and employees.

New Union. As a result of a dispute between the English Musicians' Union's Executive in Ireland, which is composed almost altogether of Englishmen, and some of its members, a new Irish Musicians' Union has been formed. I have hopes that within a short time almost all Irish musicians will transfer to the Irish Musicians' Union.

Relief of Distress. I am in communication with the Organising Secretary of the White Cross in connection with the Scheme for the conservation of water-power in Donegal, Connemara, Kerry, and Arklow. If this scheme is adopted it will mean the employment of a very considerable amount of unskilled labour, as the major portion of the work will consist in making dams. Such a scheme would, of course, give a great impetus to the industrial revival, as, according to the reports of several technical experts, the water-power thus created would be equivalent to the using of coal at the rate of 6/- per ton. It is an industrial maxim that industries follow cheap power, and it is not too much to expect that these areas will benefit enormously if the scheme is intelligently carried through.

Belfast Boycott. Early in February of this year, the organising of the Belfast Boycott, then roughly nine months in operation, was taken over by the Ministry for Labour. Immediately the country was mapped out into ten areas and an organiser appointed to each. A central office to control operations generally was established in Dublin, and the Belfast office reorganised. The organisers carried out their work splendidly, and effective committees sprang up all over the country, each in direct touch [32] with headquarters and, where possible, in touch with neighbouring committees. Instructions were issued from G.H.Q., I.R.A., for full co-operation between local Brigades and the committees. Two clergymen were also appointed to tour the country to secure the support of the priests in the interest of the Boycott.

At present there are close on four hundred Committees in existence, all, with few exceptions, working with great enthusiasm.

Three of our Organisers have been arrested, one being subsequently released after a few weeks' detention. Their places were filled without delay.

Owing to the heavy work devolving on the Secretaries in Cork, Limerick, and Derry, paid officials were appointed in those places. In Dublin two Organisers were employed, and a Patrol of Volunteers (on the suggestion of the O/C Dublin Brigade). Thousands of cases of dealings with Belfast were investigated, and where necessary strong action was taken. Many houses were raided, and Order Books and "tainted goods" taken away. Several of the leading firms in the city who were proved offending against the boycott were fined up to the extent of one hundred pounds. The fines in almost every case were promptly paid. By the aid of persons sympathetic a close watch was established on all the railway termini in the city, on the several shipping companies at the Port, and on the carters, so that at present it is practically impossible for Belfast goods to enter or pass through the city directly, undetected. The drapers' and other shop assistants have given much valuable assistance in this way.

Early this year a big effort was made by the Belfast merchants to re-open trade. To this end depots were opened in many cross-Channel towns, principally Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, and London, and the goods sent over here as coming from a purely English firm. Many of the English merchants lent themselves to this. A large amount of this traffic has been detected and stopped. It may be pointed out that this course could only be adopted in the case of surplus stocks which the Pogromists are prepared to dispose of at a loss, as the expense incurred in the rounda-about process would militate against ordinary trade prices.

That Belfast is feeling the turn of the screw is evident from the large number of bankruptcies that have occurred and from the knowledge that has come to us that a very big percentage of the surviving firms are only carrying on with the help of mortgages on their premises.

By means of advertisments, this existence of the boycott is being kept forcibly before the public. Hundreds of thousands of leaflets and large posters have been distributed at intervals to all the Committees, and special literature supplied for local use when desired.

About March of this year it was decided to publish a black list of offending firms, both English and Irish. This list also contained the dumps whence Belfast goods were being distributed under cover. This list was spread broadcast, and had the effect of bringing many of the offenders into line. A second and more comprehensive list was issued in May. Local black lists were printed at the request of the committees in several towns.

A very vigorous campaign against the Belfast, Ulster, and Northern Banks was initiated in June, and an order issued and prominently displayed in Dublin and the provinces declaring notes and cheques on these Banks illegal. The principal traders in Dublin were notified not to accept these notes in payment. Lists of persons having their accounts in these Banks were procured, and these concerned notified to withdraw such without delay. Evidence has come to hand that this campaign is one of the most potent of the boycott weapons.

There are some weak points in the boycott organisation. One is that owing to the difficulties of forming Committees in the Counties of Antrim, Down, and Derry, we suspect that some towns in these areas are used for distributing Belfast goods. We have discovered several isolated cases of such camouflage and stopped them. We cannot, however, always tell whether goods sent out from these towns are bona fide or camouflaged Belfast goods. Owing to this difficulty, some committees have, on their own initiative, boycotted the whole six counties, and have been urging us to do the same. We also hear that in north-west Connaught, due partly to the arrest of the two organisers sent in succession, there is some leakage of Belfast goods.

Nor is the boycott of the Banks as complete as it should be. We are, however, hoping for an improvement in that district shortly, as we have sent out a third organiser who hopes to have committees functioning in most of the towns of Galway and Mayo before the end of the Truce.

British Boycott. The Labour Department has also been doing the executive work in connection with the British boycott. Generally speaking, shopkeepers and consumers are aiding loyally by the Prohibitions issued from time to time by Dáil Eireann. The piecemeal nature of the boycott, however, militates to some extent against successful drastic action. However, with the development of the boycott a more effective execution of the boycott may soon be expected. The Belfast boycott organisation is also working the British boycott.

Boycott Finances. The actual cost of running the Belfast and British boycotts between the 1st February and 31st July, 1921, amounted to £5,450. The fines recovered (and paid into the Financial Department) during that period amounted to £400.

A pamphlet of 12,000 words giving the history of the 1920 and 1921 Belfast Pogroms has been prepared and will be submitted to the Publicity Department for publication.

Decree. It is hereby decreed that the Minister responsible for the carrying out of the Belfast and British Boycotts is empowered to inflict fines on firms and individuals who break, evade, or seek to evade these boycotts. There shall be no appeal to any other Department against the payment of these fines.

The Chair was vacated by the Speaker and taken by S.T. O CEALLAIGH, Deputy Speaker.