Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

This morning we heard of a threatened strike in the ESB, with the possibility of power cuts. We also heard of another possible strike in the Irish Prison Service. Last week people walked to work because of a strike in Dublin Bus and a strike in Aer Lingus was narrowly averted for the second time in recent weeks. In the past couple of weeks, there seems to have been a deteriorating industrial relations climate, which was the kind of thing we thought social partnership was designed to avoid, including the strikes and disputes threatened in major public utility companies.

I am particularly concerned about the threatened strike in the ESB which, if it comes about and results in power cuts, will cause much hardship for householders and businesses, particularly if it occurs during the winter period. In any event, the threat of a strike in the ESB must have enormous economic consequences, creating a degree of uncertainty and unease. Normally, in the case of such a strike we would all be calling on unions and management to get together and resolve their differences. The unusual aspect of this threatened strike is that it is not a dispute in the traditional sense between unions and management. Indeed, unions and management in Aer Lingus seem to have the same view on the issue. The issue at the ESB, however, appears to be the Government's plans for the future of the company. In those circumstances, does the Taoiseach or the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources have plans to meet the ESB's management and unions with a view to resolving this issue and averting a strike, thus preventing the power cuts that would result if a strike occurs?

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