Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

So-called normal industrial relations means the Labour Court. In the case of the MV Normandy, the Labour Court, if I might paraphrase it, said flags of convenience are all the rage and it could do nothing about it. It recommended that the deal had to be accepted. It was exactly the same thing. Some 150 workers on trade union rates of pay and conditions were replaced by cheap, agency labour. That is what happened on the MV Normandy and the Taoiseach's Government paid millions of euro to supplement that. What is the difference? Will the Taoiseach explain it when he responds?

The Taoiseach said flags of convenience have been used for many decades. That is an indictment of his Government and his fellow governments in the European Union. It shows ship workers that they must rely on their own strength. Should they not fight this campaign to drag down their wages and conditions with effective strike action to paralyse companies like Irish Ferries until they agree to continue to employ workers on trade union rates of pay and decent working conditions? When ship workers in France and other countries face the same thing, should they not join together with them to ensure it happens?

Where does this leave the concept of so-called partnership? Why should workers have any sense of belief that bosses who do this type of thing to them are their partners? In what sense can they be said to be their partners? When the Taoiseach said IBEC and Irish Ferries "now accept", is he saying they have accepted they will not sack those 543 workers? Have they given him that assurance?

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