Shane Ross (Independent)

However, let us look at the overall economy and who participates in social partnership because I suggest this is a very convenient confidence trick for which a great many people are falling. I have pointed out here before that the trades unions as portrayed in these social partnerships are supposedly representing the entire workforce. They do not although they give this impression and are built up by the Government, as are the employers. Mr. Begg, when he begins the talks, will probably carry in his pocket, to be charitable to him, about 20% of the support of the Irish workforce. He represents approximately 30% of the workforce in a very vague way, or he can claim to, but that is even in dispute. How many of those support social partnership?

Senator O'Toole fought a valiant battle within the INTO when he managed to carry it by just 51% to 49% in favour of a former deal. He should be congratulated on that as well. He is a great exponent of these particular deals. Social partnership at the time was only carried by a narrow margin. Let us not pretend that somehow the trades union leaders represent the entire workforce of this country. They represent a small portion of those who are actually affiliated to ICTU.

What about all those people who are not affiliated to ICTU? Where do the multinationals stand on this particular issue? Virtually none of their workforce is a member of a trade union. On top of that none of them, as an employer, is represented at the talks. IBEC enters the talks, purporting to represent the employers. It does not. It does not represent the most vibrant part of this economy, which has undoubtedly played an extraordinarily impressive role in the resuscitation of the economy. Nobody will dispute that. They may not like it, but that is the truth. Who does IBEC represent? We know who the trades unions represent — a very small number of workers. IBEC's paymasters are the big banks, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank, the big monopoly, CRH, and who else?