Seanad debates

Wednesday, 7 November 2018

Commencement Matters

Industrial Disputes

10:30 am

Photo of Maire DevineMaire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. If it is not a legal right, is it illegal to join a union of one's choice? It seems this is a dogfight, with SIPTU and the HSE cosily together on one side and, on the other, up to 500 members who have decided that they do not want to belong to that representative body and they have asked other people to represent them. They have represented them hundreds of times in industrial relations processes and grievances. The winter is approaching and we cannot afford 500 members of the paramedic and the ambulance crews to be out of service. We cannot afford it for the people. It is the last thing they want to do.

The real question is where is the freedom of an individual to decide that if a particular section or staff representative is not representing the person adequately and if so they can move to where they feel they will be represented. The figure of 500 is en masse. That is a large number of ambulance personnel to move.

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