Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

On the election, the Minister's words might come back to haunt him. On the strike and the Minister's remark that it is a pity, those for whom it is the greatest pity are the workers who have sought over a period of three years to have an acceptable rostering arrangement put in place to allow them to have a family life.

It is the biggest step for them to have to take. It is only as a last resort. The Minister's answer actually displays an appalling lack of knowledge of the situation on the ground. For three years now, the management of the company, in which the State holds a 25% shareholding, has refused to engage with the cabin crew committee. It is a fact that in recent times it has failed on six successive occasions to attend the Labour Court. Management has issued an instruction to its cabin crew that it will refuse to implement a Labour Court recommendation in that regard.

The Government has the shareholding. Combined with the staff, the Minister has an influence greater than anyone else. Will his answer to this and every other matter be to shrug his shoulders and let somebody else deal with it? Alternatively, will he use his influence to call management to account and allow the workers to work in a decent job that allows them to rear their families and earn a living without being treated as a commodity as part of a race to the bottom, and without being driven out of their jobs because of a lack of family-friendly rosters only to be replaced by casual labour? The Minister probably likes this prospect because it seems to be pretty much akin to Fine Gael policy.

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