I thank my colleagues, Deputies Conway-Walsh and Guirke, for bringing forward this motion this evening. I also want to welcome some of my former colleagues, friends of mine and, indeed, brothers and sisters in the Public Gallery. I will take this opportunity to wish the Leas Ceann Comhairle, everyone here and beyond a happy May Day for next Friday. Next Friday, I will join my dad, who was a union official, and we will march in the Dublin Council of Trade Unions' May Day march, as we have done every May Day. I do not think I have ever missed one and I highly doubt my dad has missed one either. As we march, we will remember my mam, who was a very dedicated and committed trade unionist for all of her life. She believed in the power of the unions. She understood the power of collective effort. She understood that we were stronger together, stronger against this anti-worker Government. We all know the best way for workers to protect or enhance their terms and conditions of employment is not just to join their trade union but to be active in their trade union. It is not our job as legislators to organise workers, that job falls to the people in the Gallery, but it is our job as legislators to create those conditions and that is exactly what this motion attempts to do. The Government’s countermotion is shameless and the Minister knows it is. He is shameless to come in here and try to propose it, but sure, of course, that is what he does. There is a reason Covalen does not recognise the Communication Workers Union, CWU. The main reason is because it does not have to. The fact that the company does not puts its workers at a disadvantage. When workers look around and wonder who is in their corner, their union is in their corner, the ICTU is in their corner and Sinn Féin is in their corner, but the Government is on the opposite side. There is a reason those workers cannot get recognition and that is because the Government simply will not act.

Sentiment score: 0.20