Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

One of the things the Taoiseach tells us repeatedly is that the economic crisis we are experiencing is largely due to international factors which are outside the control of the Government. Some of that is true, but there are some things that are within our control. One of these is the state of our own country's industrial relations. We are now facing into a spate of strikes over the next couple of weeks. Tomorrow the Civil Public and Services Union will take strike action, closing every tax and social welfare office; indeed, our own hard-working staff here in Leinster House will be on strike.

On Saturday there will be a bus strike because the trade unions are concerned, understandably, that at a time when it is official Government policy to increase public transport, bus routes are being dropped and bus workers are being let go. An all-out bus strike is planned from next Monday. Yesterday, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions took a decision to ballot for all-out strike action on 30 March. On Saturday, 120,000 workers were on the streets of Dublin.

The anger felt by these workers is understandable when one considers that the lowest paid worker in a hospital is having his or her wages cut, while this week the Minister for Health and Children announced that the highest paid people in our health system — hospital consultants — are to get a major increase. That increase was announced on the very day the HSE announced it would cut front line services.

On top of the banking problem, the job losses and the overall problems in our country, the last thing we need now is a period of industrial unrest and strikes. However, these can be avoided. The way to do this is to talk and get agreement on issues of concern. The general secretary of ICTU was on the radio this morning saying that he was willing to talk. The Taoiseach says he will talk to the trade unions, but only after he has put the pension levy through the House. When he has done that, however, there will not be much left to talk about. The Bill he is putting through the House does not allow for any subsequent flexibility in discussions.

I suggest that the Taoiseach suspend the passage of the legislation through the Houses, have discussions with the trade unions, which they are willing to have with him, and at least make some adjustments to the pension levy to make it more fair. Everybody in this House understands there are some things that are manifestly unfair, inconsistent and anomalous in the pension levy arrangement. I ask him at least to attempt to reach agreement on those issues, change the proposal before the legislation is enacted and the door is closed on it, and avoid the strikes which are perfectly avoidable if discussions take place with the trade unions representing the workers concerned.

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