asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health why he refused to sanction an increase in wages of 4/- per week to road gangers and machinery workers in the employment of the Wexford Council, after it had been recommended and approved of by the council and county manager respectively.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wexford Council Workers' Wages.
When an additional increase of 4/- a week was sanctioned for road labourers, bringing their pay to 39/- a week, the road gangers already had 44/- a week. The rate of pay to road gangers is generally 1/- a day more than road labourers, and a further bonus of 4/- a week would represent a higher rate than appeared to be necessary. The rate of bonus sanctioned in the case of gangers was accordingly 2/- a week. That rate was also approved in the case of machinery workers, who are receiving wages ranging from 43/- to 75/- a week.
Are we to understand from the Minister's reply that he considers that 44/- a week or 48/- a week would be too much to give a man who is trying to keep his wife and family? Would the Minister say how he reconciles that answer with the answer given to me on 3rd November last, when he stated that that was more or less a matter for the local authorities? Is the Minister further aware that special provision was made by the Wexford County Council to enable them to pay in the coming year the increase for which they asked sanction?
In reply to all these supplementary questions, all I can say is that there is obviously in present circumstances need to relate more closely the remuneration paid to road workers and persons in ancillary positions to the wages which it has been decided can be paid to agricultural labourers.
Would the Minister give us some idea as to the particular class of worker to which he compares a ganger? He has already, as far as I can ascertain, sent a circular or sent some intimation to county managers that when an increase is conceded to agricultural labourers some increase can be given to road workers and those in positions such as foremen. Surely it is not suggested that £2 4/- or £2 6/- or £2 8/- is too much for a man with a wife and family. Is the Minister further aware that, in consequence of the scarcity of petrol, there is more work and responsibility placed upon the gangers' shoulders now than there was pre-war?
I think the Deputy's supplementary questions are so wide in nature that they can only be reasonably dealt with in the debate on the Estimates.
Did the county manager at a later date ask for sanction for an increase of 1/- to the road workers to put them on a level with agricultural workers? I was told by the county manager and the Wexford County Council that I should raise the matter in this House.
That is a separate question.