asked the Minister for Finance whether he received a communication dated 27th January last from the Post Office Workers' Union and the Civil Service Clerical Association requesting an interview with him on the subject of setting up an arbitration board which would be mutually acceptable to these organisations and the Government, and whether in view of the promise made by the President of the Executive Council over four years ago that he was prepared to establish an arbitration board to adjudicate on the grievances of the Civil Service organisations, he is prepared to receive the deputation as requested so that a satisfactory scheme of arbitration may be devised and brought into operation at an early date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Arbitration in Civil Service.
I received a communication under the date stated from the two organisations referred to in the question. The communication purported to be a reply to a letter issued on the 8th June last from my Department asking for written observations on a detailed draft scheme for setting up arbitration machinery to deal with certain Civil Service matters. In fact, however, beyond a few broad statements in regard to arbitration generally, no detailed or considered criticism of the draft arbitration scheme was offered. This question of arbitration, affecting as it does the whole Civil Service in which there are many and varied grades of officers, duties, and circumstances of service, cannot be dealt with piecemeal. Until I have received from the service as a whole written observations on the details of the draft scheme which show appreciation of the grave constitutional and other difficulties which, apart from questions of conditions of service of civil servants, are inherent in this matter and have had an opportunity to review and consider such criticisms, no useful purpose would be served by receiving any deputation.
Do I understand although he has received joint letters from both organisations, the two largest organisations in the Civil Service, the Minister does not propose to receive a deputation to discuss the question of arbitration? Does the Minister think that his attitude in this respect is in accordance with the very definite promise made by the President on the eve of the 1932 General Election that he would establish an arbitration board to deal with grievances in the Civil Service?
It was not a promise; it was only a statement.
I do not assent to Deputy Dillon's comment. It was an undertaking to establish a scheme of arbitration, and we propose to establish a scheme of arbitration. We have not given a blank cheque to anyone to fill in for us.
In view of the unsatisfactory reply of the Minister, I propose to raise this matter on the adjournment.