Does the Taoiseach endorse the overweening arrogance of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, who last week insulted, bullied and threatened 8,000 postal workers because they dared to exercise a democratic right to vote for industrial action over a pay dispute? Does he endorse that Minister's threat to privatise the postal service because post office workers demand the single figure wage increases which the partnership policy of the Taoiseach's Government awarded all workers three years ago under Sustaining Progress and which has not been paid? Scandalously, An Post pensioners have equally been denied these increases to try to blackmail their working colleagues. Does the Taoiseach think the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has any moral authority in attacking workers to whom the State owes substantial amounts of money when his most recent big idea has left the taxpayer with about €52 million worth of obsolete chunks of scrap metal languishing in air-conditioned warehouses at a further cost of €1 million to the taxpayer? If I recall correctly, these machines were supposed to be used for voting.

This is the same Minister who never lost an opportunity to vilify another cohort of workers, namely teachers, when he was in a dispute with them. What next? Will he threaten to replace the postal workers with semi-bonded labour and the abuse of migrant workers such as is the case at Irish Ferries, if they do not toe his line?

Is this what partnership has come to mean for Government? Is it any wonder SIPTU members are refusing to go into talks for a new agreement when there is blatant reneging on the last agreement, which still has not been honoured?

Hear, hear.

There has been routine replacement of unionised jobs and rates of pay by semi-slave labour. Will the Taoiseach instruct An Post to pay its workers and pensioners what they are due and to separate this payment from other negotiations on the postal services? Will the Taoiseach introduce legislation to outlaw the replacement of established jobs with semi-bonded labour, and the grotesque exploitation of migrant workers that this means?

The Minister has spent much time in recent months and throughout the year working with management and trade unions at An Post. Late last week he had a detailed, protracted meeting with the unions in order to help, and he has made a huge commitment to bringing both sides together so An Post can resolve its difficulties and make its modernisation plans work effectively. In that way it can continue to service its customers, both business and personal. An Post knows it must change. Deputy Higgins has outlined some of the issues creating difficulty.

The blueprint for the settlement of this dispute is the Labour Court recommendation. I stand over such recommendations as I have always done in this House. To the best of my knowledge, management has accepted the recommendation and I hope the unions will accept it too. We can then deal with the other issues which are equally important for staff and management at An Post, and avoid strike action. Nobody will win if such action occurs but An Post will lose further business.

My Independent colleagues in this House tell me that up and down the country, An Post provides a vital social service. However, the Government refuses to subvent or finance it. For the past three years the Government has financed it by shortchanging postal workers and more scandalously, pensioners of An Post, a very vulnerable group. The Government has then used as whipping-boys the postal workers themselves.

As the Taoiseach should know, the Labour Court recommendation was not binding because An Post insisted on that. When the union then exercised its right not to accept the recommendation, a process of vilification began. I query what justice the postal workers can hope for from the Labour Court since a few months ago, that court told Irish Ferries to go ahead with its outsourcing of labour and its bonded worker employment.

How can the Taoiseach justify pensioners in An Post being denied their increases? Will he instruct the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to value the crucial role performed in our society by thousands of workers such as those at An Post, rather than insult them? They drag themselves from their beds on cold wintry mornings many hours before most people arise. What does the Taoiseach think of the unease in the trade union movement generally because the Government has reneged on and broken the agreement the Taoiseach solemnly made with the unions three years ago?

That is not the issue currently causing difficulty in the trade union movement. The Deputy is ill-informed.

What is the issue?

There are issues in An Post creating difficulties for quite a considerable time. They have been examined at great length by the Minister, the Labour Court conciliation service, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and affiliate unions in order to advance matters. The Minister spent a long time last week addressing these issues. The Labour Court is involved in addressing the issues and though it has already made a recommendation, the Minister continues to engage with the leaders of the Communications Workers Union to solve the issue. That is the best way of resolving the matter. I urge all sides to assist in that. Nobody wants to see An Post further damaged, or an unhappy situation for management or workers. The best way to resolve the issues is collectively, so An Post can move on and implement its programme for change, generate new business and deal with its outstanding issues. This is best done in a calm environment, using the conciliation services of the State.