TUs not to blame

Remember the big strike/lockout at Alcan last year? Anti-union and antiworker feeling in the mass media reached an all-time high. Gerry Collins TD talked about running ‘cowboys’ out of the area. Trotskyists and ‘reds’ were under every bed in west Limerick. ‘British-style’ shop steward power had arrived in the last boat to Foynes. Matt Merrigan was directing the ‘sabotage’ of the Shannon Estuary from a soap box in Dublin. The senior shop steward was ‘erry born’ (!?) And the Bottom Dog was co-ordindiff of the WUIL.

gerald, decided to appoint a tribunal But the findings of the tribunal were to investigate industrial relations on the not what the establishment expected.

joubt certain that the ran- | The evidence showing the workers to be blameless for the chaotic industrial relations on Aughinish was so overwhelming that even a tribunal weighed in the employers’ favour could not i¢nore it.

The tribunal found that the Alumina tors ou the job and the Construction Industry Federation. On the other hand, there was only a ‘mild rebuke’ * for the unions, chiefly for not giving enough attention to their members. The tribunal also endorsed the shop stewards’ demand that they should be in on any negotiations on bonus payments - one of the big issues in last year’s major dispute.

Now that the truth is known, it will be and the politicians will use to describe the management side at Alcan. ‘Reds’ would certainly not fit the bill. “‘Cowcome closer to the mark. “Inflexible’ was the term used by the tribunal. The workers om the site have come up with even moss @arpine Ones but u interesting to see what terms the media boys’, ‘outsiders’ and ‘saboteurs’ would Swp with.

Niall M eehan