Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 14 Jun 1990

Vol. 399 No. 12

Adjournment Debate. - Industrial Dispute at Poultry Plants.

Mr. Connaughton

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me this opportunity of bringing this matter to the Floor of the House. I also thank the Minister for making himself available. The Minister is aware that there is a long running dispute between members of the UPTCS, representing agricultural officers in poultry processing plants, and the Department, which has not been solved.

The union have now decided to escalate strike action from next Monday to all farm development offices, district veterinary offices, meat processing plants, etc., which will cause great inconvenience and hardship to farmers everywhere. It appears that the union are instructing their members to strike in various counties, and to extend it as they see fit. This will have disastrous effects on the farming community as there will be widespread disruption, particularly in relation to animal health. If the union place pickets on DVO and FDS offices, members of other unions might not pass them, which would result in a total close-down.

Literally hundreds of farmers are anxiously awaiting grant approvals for anti-pollution measures on their farms but these will not be passed if there is a strike. It is potentially very harmful and could not come at a worse time because of the downturn in values for cattle and sheep. Of course there is never a good time for a strike but, in so far as the agricultural community are concerned, it is the worst time.

I understand that the livestock marts may not be affected in the initial stages but many meat factories are likely to encounter wholesale problems if the services of the agricultural officers are withdrawn. This means that our export drive will be affected which would worsen matters. It appears that this dispute centres around 24 agricultural officers who are employed in poultry processing plants, and I understand that it is really about a regrading structure. I was in Agriculture House long enough to know that matters of this kind are very difficult to solve and I do not imagine that anyone has a magic wand.

I am calling on the Minister and the union to ensure that everything will be done this weekend so that the agricultural community are not saddled with something which they do not want. I do not know the ins and outs of the strike from the point of view of the Minister but I hope he will be able to tell me what will happen next and what procedures the Department could initiate with the union to try to settle the dispute. This is a relatively minor dispute — Agriculture House has seen bigger disputes over the years — but, because it has been going on for such a long time, obviously the union have decided that they will escalate it. I do not have the answer but I sincerely hope that the Minister and the union have enough sense to realise that the strike will be settled some time regardless of whether we decide to inconvenience every farmer in the country. I assume, as is the case with all other disputes, there is no shortage of principle on both sides but I am sure that the Minister will do all he can to solve it. I do not like what I hear and see in relation to this matter and that is why I hope the Minister will enlighten the House in regard to the ultimate outcome.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

I am very glad to respond to this matter. I gave a very full account to the House a few weeks ago and I will now elaborate on it.

The position in relation to the matters raised by the Deputy is that the Union of Professional and Technical Civil Servants have withdrawn their members from poultry plants throughout the country on a gradual basis over the last six weeks in pursuance of a claim for the upgrading of the staff involved. The union have also notified my Department that they propose to escalate the industrial action by placing pickets from 13 June on all offices and plants in County Cavan where UPTCS members, attached to the Department, are located. The action is to continue for three days in County Cavan and, thereafter, different counties are to be selected on a random basis for similar action over full one week periods.

As regards the claim for upgrading, my Department had made a substantial offer and other proposals in response to the union's claim. In particular, the Department have offered an annual allowance of £1,250 to each officer — this allowance equates to the difference between the maxima of the HAO and SAO scales when both scales were last revised at the same time. The Department have also proposed that the union accept this offer, as an interim settlement, with a commitment that further negotiations on staffing and grading would be undertaken in a wider context by 1 July next. The union rejected this and also the Department's proposal that they submit a pay claim for processing through the normal arbitration procedure.

I regret that the union have sought to escalate the dispute by involving staff not directly involved. However, the information available to me in relation to County Cavan is that most departmental staff, apart from those on the poultry side, are at work and that services, including meat plants and ERAD, are operating normally. Given their loyalty to both the Department and the farming community which they serve, I would expect that staff in other areas and in County Galway in particular will continue to work normally. I also wish to assure the general public that my Department have arranged to ensure a veterinary presence at all poultry plants to oversee veterinary and hygiene requirements.

The poultry industry is a very important part of the agricultural economy. With the assistance of national and FEOGA funding, the sector has been modernised and developed in recent years and now employs over 5,000 people directly and many others in secondary employment. The farm gate value of poultry and eggs is in the order of £130 million per annum which represents some £200 million in retail values per annum. Poultry meat exports amounted to some £25 million in 1989. The sector has the potential to develop further. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that nothing is done to jeopardise this growth potential.

The union involved have accepted the terms of the Programme for National Recovery and the agreement on pay in the public service. In addition, my Department have to operate within the framework of the policy on public service pay. In that context, the staff involved have already received a 10 per cent special pay increase, payable on a phased basis beginning on 1 July 1989, in addition to the general pay increases under the agreement. The money offer now on the table covers the differential at the maxima of the HAO and SAO scales. What we have offered is in the nature of an interim settlement as my Department are willing to commit themselves to further negotiations on the definitive grading issue in a wider context. My Department have made a very reasonable response to the union's claim within the pay and other constraints which continue to be necessary if national recovery is to be maintained. At the same time, it is not in anybody's interest that the dispute be prolonged or escalated further as the union propose.

For these reasons, I renew my earlier appeal to the poultry staff concerned to accept the interim settlement and resume normal working immediately to allow further negotiations to take place. I can assure all concerned that, in such an event, further negotiations will be given urgent priority.