Mr. John Arkins:

Our negotiations have ended up with three legal agreements being reached with our employers and resulted in a maximum working week of 48 hours being agreed. Three major production companies in Ireland have entered into an agreement with their workforce. Both sides have tried to address these situations. Some situations are not covered by the agreement but we are working on the matter as we speak. There has been interference and people have come up with the bogus argument that the Irish Film Workers Association does not have a negotiation licence. I do not need a licence to talk to my employer and no group of workers needs a licence to talk to their employer. However, Screen Producers Ireland and Troy Studios need licences to negotiate and to set terms and conditions. Neither has a licence, so neither can set the terms and conditions for employees who do not work for them. The Irish Film Workers Association is doing what has to be done and our employers have stepped up to the plate.

There are some huge issues within the industry. My colleagues who are seated on my left have some major problems and my organisation is trying to address them with the employers in the industry. That is why we cannot go down the route of negotiating an industry agreement with Screen Producers Ireland because it is not an accepted body under the Act. I can quote the Act and what is required. If an organisation is not an accepted body or a trade union, then it cannot set terms and conditions for people who do not work for the organisation. Any trade union that enters into an agreement with a body that has no licence and cannot get one is misleading people. That is where the problems stem from. The big red herring in this room is who can one talk to. One talks to an employer and an employee. Anyone else in between who interferes in that relationship is interfering for his or her own gain.