asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether he has yet reached a decision as to the rate of wages to be paid to labourers employed by the Post Office Engineering Branch at Maynooth.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Post Office Labourers' Wages.
I have made further enquiries in this matter and I find that the work undertaken by the casual labourers employed by the engineering branch was unskilled and that the correct rate for such labour in the Maynooth area is 30/- a week.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, is he aware of the fact that in the City of Dublin labourers employed by the post office are paid the local builders' rates? That is the practice. Would he say why, in view of that fact, the builders' rate of wages is not paid in Maynooth, where the rate is 10d., and why the Minister continues to pay only 30/- a week. Would he say what is the explanation of the difference in practice?
The matter has been very carefully considered. The conditions in respect of Dublin do not apply to Maynooth. The rates of wages there were investigated. We got into touch with the labour exchange and got information that this was the rate of wages.
So that the Minister has answered a question that I did not really ask. He says that the rates in Maynooth are different from the rates in Dublin. So are the building trades rates different, being 1/5 an hour in Dublin and 10d. in Maynooth. When the Minister employs temporary men in Dublin he pays them 1/5 an hour because that is the building trades rate. Why does he not pay 10d. an hour in Maynooth where the rate is 10d? He is only paying 30/-, which is below the builders labourers' rate.
Because these are unskilled workers, while in Dublin they are treated as if they were semi-skilled workers. The Deputy knows that as well as I do.
If I may say so, the Minister is talking through his hat. The persons employed in Maynooth are labourers. They are similar to the class employed in Dublin on this work, and they are recruited from the local labour exchange, the same as Dublin. The Minister pays the builders labourers' rate in Dublin but he will not pay it in Maynooth. I asked the Minister why, and there is no reasonable answer.
I have nothing to add to the answer I already gave.
Because it is a workers' Government.