FG’s hot-and-cold approach to social partnership
Whether or not such social partnership can continue to meet the future needs of Irish workers — in respect of both the quantity and quality of job creation and the required improvement in living standards — is, of course, an issue yet to be determined through the democratic structures and procedures of the trade union movement. But it is doubtful if national debate has been advanced by the statement on February 11 from Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton when he sniped at our movement by describing social partnership as “a process dominated by producer interests” and “a cosy arrangement among insiders”.
There is indeed a disappointing sense of déjà vu to all of this. For it was John Bruton, in his leader’s address to the Fine Gael árd fheis in May 1994, who had long ago used similar language to denounce social partnership as “this cosy consensus” with “insider-type policies, of the kind favoured by Fianna Fáil and Labour”.
A contrasting evaluation was, however, to be offered by a subsequent Taoiseach in the following statement: “National agreements have been key social institutions in creating Ireland’s outstanding performance. The State has adapted successfully to the challenge of the European single market in large part due to social partnership.”
That same Taoiseach had previously pronounced that “social partnership is patriotism”, adding that “it has worked for everyone, for competitiveness of the economy, for both short-term needs of people and for the long-term needs of the economy”.
No, these were not the words of a Fianna Fáil Taoiseach, but of a Fine Gael one. It was none other than that self-same John Bruton who was to articulate such a considered judgement when addressing both the IMPACT conference in May 1996 and, beforehand, the ICTU conference in July 1995.
John Bruton also went on to praise outgoing ICTU president Phil Flynn in the following terms: “His commitment to making the social partnership work was more than could reasonably be expected of any human being — a demonstration of practical patriotism.”
Padraig Yeates, co-author of Saving the Future: How Social Partnership Shaped Ireland’s Economic Success, recorded how, at that 1995 conference, “the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, admitted to being a late convert to the concept of social partnership. He paid tribute to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for its contribution to making it work, despite some criticism in his own ranks”.
It was John Bruton himself who drew attention to the following fact: “My experience of social partnership started out as one of scepticism”.
So it was that ICTU conference delegates, including myself, heard that last Fine Gael Taoiseach go on candidly to admit to us all, in three very simple words: “I was wrong.”
Manus O’Riordan
Head of Research
SIPTU
Liberty Hall
Dublin 1
