Ciarán Cannon (Progressive Democrats)

I agree with the comment about an increasing disconnect between the membership of our unions and union leadership. That is very much the case. From speaking to a number of union members in Galway in recent days, my experience is that they are utterly ashamed of the positions adopted by their leadership. While listening to a radio station yesterday evening — I cannot recall which one — we got a frightening and particularly sickening insight into the mind of one such union leader — I will not name him — who commented on the very responsible decision taken by the members of IMPACT not to proceed with the strike next Monday. He sought to usurp the will of the members of IMPACT by suggesting methods by which the decision could be got around. His comment at the end of the interview was particularly appalling, that he did not expect the members of IMPACT to pass pickets staged by other unions and that he still hoped they would be able to achieve major disruption on Monday. If that is the mentality that exists within the leadership of our unions, I have very serious concerns for our future. I ask the Leader to take a very strong unequivocal and unified message from this Chamber — I know that he will do so — to the union leadership that the strike on Monday serves no one's interest, least of all that of union members.