Day 174 - 17 Oct 95 - Page 20
1 you are a member of the Bar and not a witness, please.
2
3 THE WITNESS: Sorry, what is your question, Mr. Morris?
4
5 MR. MORRIS: You did not want to meet the union, did you?
6 A. No, that is not correct.
7
8 Q. What did you say -----
9 A. We had already in our meeting agreed that we -- and we
10 had told them, having reviewed the correspondence, we had
11 told them that we had implemented a National Understanding
12 in our meeting.
13
14 Q. You told them, yes?
15 A. I beg your pardon?
16
17 Q. You told them, yes?
18 A. They then choose, OK, to continue correspondence. If
19 you look at the correspondence, OK, it is clear that we did
20 not ignore the union; we replied to their communications.
21 There is one dated 21st November 1979. Going on from
22 there -- that is one. 26th November, we corresponded with
23 the Labour Court and again confirmed that we have written
24 to the ITGWU, reminding them that we have implemented the
25 national wage agreement in our own manner and with the
26 consent of our staff, already in the year of 1979.
27
28 Q. You did not actually disclose any documentary proof of
29 that, did you; or it is certainly not with these documents
30 here?
31 A. No, no, we did not. But, I mean, we were,
32 Mr. Morris -----
33
34 Q. We have your word to take for it?
35 A. Yes, but, with respect, we were writing to the Labour
36 Court, OK. So what we said to the Labour Court, we frankly
37 should be prepared to stand behind.
38
39 Q. Yes. Well, if you look at page 16, for example, which is
40 the letter of 12th November from the Irish Transport and
41 General Workers Union, which you have now incorporated into
42 your statement -----
43 A. Sorry, what date is that, 12th November?
44
45 Q. 12th November.
46 A. Yes.
47
48 Q. John Burke, branch secretary of the ITGWU says: "We should
49 be obliged if an early meeting could be arranged between us
50 to discuss the implementation of the first phase of the
51 National Understanding due to our members in your
52 employment from 1st June 1979. We should also like to
53 discuss the question of payment for Sunday work."
54
55 By 10th December, it is clear that Mr. White from the ITGWU
56 is clearly fed up with the situation, is he not?
57 A. Well, he appears, certainly, to be displeased. But may
58 I remind you -----
59
60 Q. But you were refusing to meet the union?
