asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the State Departments which include, in contracts made by them, the provisions of a fair-wages clause and the actual terms of the clause so included; and further, the circumstances in which the fair-wages clause is omitted from a contract for work, labour or service made by a Department of State.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fair-Wages Clause in Contracts.
All Departments of State which place contracts normally include in the contracts a fair-wages clause the terms of which are as follows:
The contractor shall pay rates of wages and observe hours of labour not less favourable than those commonly recognised by employers and trade societies (or, in the absence of such recognised wages and hours, those which in practice prevail amongst good employers) in the trade in the district where the work is carried out. Where there are no such wages and hours recognised or prevailing in the district those recognised or prevailing in the nearest district in which the general industrial circumstances are similar shall be adopted. Further, the conditions of employment generally accepted in the district in the trade concerned shall be taken into account in considering how far the terms of this clause are being observed, and for this purpose regard shall also be had to the conditions of employment generally in the contracting firm. The contractor shall be prohibited from transferring or assigning, directly or indirectly, to any person or persons whatever any portion of this contract without the written permission of the Department. Sub-letting, other than that which may be customary in the trade concerned, shall be prohibited. The contractor shall be responsible for the observance of this clause by the sub-contractor.
The only cases so far as I am aware where the clause is omitted are in respect of laundry contracts for the preparatory colleges under the control of the Department of Education, and of catering services in connection with occasional official functions.