SIPTU blames Harney for talks boycott

Tánaiste Mary Harney was at the centre of a political storm last night when the country’s largest trade union boycotted pay talks with Government because of forthright comments she made about public transport reforms at the weekend.

In an unexpected move, SIPTU refused to attend the opening of talks on the second round of Sustaining Progress, involving Government and the social partners. They were due to commence at 5pm at Government buildings yesterday.

The union convened a meeting yesterday morning to discuss remarks made by the Tánaiste at the Progressive Democrats’ annual conference in Killarney.

Ms Harney had said her party’s future participation in the Coalition was contingent on the break-up of Aer Rianta and the liberalisation of bus routes.

According to SIPTU, the Tánaiste’s remarks seemed to contradict the import and spirit of a letter sent by the Taoiseach to the union a fortnight ago, which helped avert threatened airport and transport industrial action during St Patrick’s week.

SIPTU general secretary Jack O’Connor told the Irish Examiner last night that the union had decided to pull out of the talks when it became clear the rights of transport and aviation workers seemed to be way down the Government’s agenda .

He said there was an absence of any reference to the rights of workers in Ms Harney’s remarks.

“When we read the Tánaiste’s comments, we realised that the issue was being ramped up to the point where the PD’s ideological agenda was becoming a condition for them to stay in Government,” he said.

He added the union would not enter into pay talks until the Taoiseach clarified that the “agreements we have with Government are going to be honoured”.

Last night, Ms Harney’s spokesman said she stood over her remarks.

“The Tánaiste was reflecting Government policy,” he said. “These were promises agreed to in the Programme for Government.”

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the boycott was a pity because the Government had committed itself to enter talks with the union.

But, in a reference to what it considers the diverging signals coming from the Taoiseach on one hand and from the PDs and Transport Minister Seamus Brennan on the other, the SIPTU statement pointedly referred to the need for the “whole Government” to honour commitments.

SIPTU’s boycott won support from the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) which said it was “110%” behind its position.

However, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary last night urged the Government to bid “good riddance” to SIPTU.

“The needs of Irish tourism and job creation far outweigh the vested interests of less than 2,000

SIPTU members of the Dublin Airport monopoly,” he said.