Vol. 267 No. 3
I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to enable the Minister for Labour to regulate for a limited period the remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment of employees of banks and to provide for matters connected with the matters aforesaid.
If I may make a statement of explanation——
I was about to ask the Minister to do so.
We are so courteous that we anticipated that. The House will be aware that each of the last two pay settlements in relation to the banks was found by the Labour Court to be at variance with the national pay agreement but that, despite the findings of the Labour Court, the settlements in question were implemented. These were in breach of the national agreement.
In view of this background and having regard to the Government's policy endorsed by the people in the general election, to promote economic development, stability and growth in jobs and making possible voluntary agreements between employers and unions, I have deemed it necessary in the national interest to do what I could to prevent a repetition of what happened in the past. Accordingly, with the approval of the Government, I ask that whatever settlement might emerge from the current negotiations should be referred to the Labour Court for a report on whether it complies with the national agreement and that this be done before balloting takes place. Up to this time the representatives of the Irish Bank Officials' Association have not found it possible to comply with this request. In the circumstances, the Government agreed that temporary legislation should be introduced and be brought into operation, if necessary, to ensure that the Labour Court would be in a position to advise whether any proposed settlement breached the national agreement, that national agreement which has been entered into voluntarily by the vast majority of Irish trade unionists.
This, then, is the background to the introduction of this Bill. I hope that, in view of the urgency of the situation, it will be possible for the House to deal quickly with the Bill and that all Stages can be taken next week. In the light of the proposed legislation, I have asked the banks and the Irish Bank Officials' Association to suspend their negotiations. I emphasised that I have no desire to proceed further with this proposed legislation if there is compliance with the request that the Labour Court be given the opportunity of examining pre-settlement proposals so as to ensure that the national agreement provisions are not breached for a third time. I need scarcely add that there is no question of preventing bank officials from sharing in the improved pay and conditions which workers in general are obtaining in compliance with the provisions of the national agreement.
Can the Minister say whether the introduction of this Bill heralds the Labour Party's abandonment of the free collective bargaining principle in industrial relations and whether the Minister would relate the purpose of this Bill to the Bill that was introduced and passed in this House in relation to the rather similar situation that existed in the ESB and which was opposed so vehemently by the Labour Party?
There are two points——
The Chair would intervene at this stage to point out that there can be no general debate on a motion for leave to introduce. The Chair was allowing a statement from the Opposition as such.
It is usual, too, to have a simple statement from the Minister who introduces a Bill but the Minister made what was tantamount to a Second Reading speech.
And without any advance notice.
No notice whatever of this was given.
The Leader of the Opposition has said already that he would have sought a statement. It was my intention to make such a statement. To answer Deputy Lynch simply, I would say that it is merely in token of our desire to uphold the national agreement entered into voluntarily by the vast majority of Irish trade unionists that we are taking this action to ensure that the people involved in this dispute refer the elements involved in it to the Labour Court. We have no wish to proceed any further if there is any undertaking on their side to the effect that they are willing to utilise the Labour Court.
We will have more to say on this Bill. The Labour Party may juggle away now that they have responsibility.
I am sorry that the Deputy is playing politics in relation to the economy.
I am not, and when it comes to responsibility there is no party more responsible than we are. On Second Reading we will point out the hypocrisy of the Labour Party.
I can assure the Deputy that there are no provisions in the proposed Bill against organised workers.
We cannot have a debate at this stage.
Are Fianna Fáil in favour of bank employees getting all they want?
The Labour Party are finished.
When will the Bill be circulated?
Tomorrow morning, probably.
