Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach.

It is a considerable relief that no disruption to ESB power supplies will take place and that no small or large business, home, school or hotel will be without a supply at this time of year which is akin to harvest time for many small businesses. I thank those involved in bringing the negotiations between the unions, management, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, and the Labour Relations Commission, LRC, to a successful conclusion for everyone’s benefit.

Those employed by the ESB and other critical utility companies such as water and telecommunications providers are perfectly entitled to be members of trade unions and I support their right to join them. I also support the right of workers to strike, but the cause must be proportionate. The recently threatened strike in the ESB was out of proportion. The last strike in the company was over 22 years ago, one in which I participated on the picket line. There is no satisfaction for workers walking with placards on cold and dark nights on a picket line. It is a last resort. Those past ESB strikes were dark days for the workers, businesses, schools and hospitals. Even then, a minimal supply was maintained for hospitals and those living near them were lucky to keep their supply, too. Thankfully, we have not had similar strikes since, with no blackouts for over 20 years owing to successful negotiations between the unions, workers, management and the LRC.

Senators Feargal Quinn and Sean D. Barrett always make significant contributions to debates in this House. However, I am concerned that the Bill which would remove the right of trade union members in certain utilities to go on strike might impose criminal sanctions for going on strike, a penalty we should avoid, as it could be counterproductive and undermine the entire trade union movement. I agree that the Bill has merit in providing for a minimum supply, where necessary. The State’s industrial relations system has served us well, however, in reaching agreement between unions, workers and management, which has ensured no strike action has taken place in the ESB in the past 22 years. I hope the system will continue to be successful and that we will not have a disruption to supply again, with the country being held to ransom, for another 22 years. At that stage, I will not personally be concerned about the issue.