asked the Minister for Defence whether he is aware that the wages of a number of employees of his Department at the Curragh Camp, who were graded as builders' labourers in September, 1948, were reduced last month from £4 18s. 0d. to £3 18s. 0d. per week, and whether he will arrange to have the former rate restored.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reduction of Employees' Wages.
I am aware that since the 1st April a number of men graded as building labourers in September, 1948, were regraded as general labourers and their rate of pay was accordingly reduced from £4 18s. 1d. a week to £3 13s. 4d. a week. The regrading was necessary to permit of the absorption of other employees, senior in service to those who were regraded, as building labourers.
No vacancies for building labourers exist at present and I regret, therefore, that it is not possible to have the men who were regraded reappointed as building labourers with their former rate of pay.
Does the Minister for Defence agree that in view of the increased cost of living and of the fact that some of those men have recently acquired tenancies of county council cottages on the strength of their wages at the time, the reduction is a great hardship upon themselves and their families?
I do agree that any reduction in wages is a hardship on individuals, but if the hardship were not inflicted on these individuals it would have had to be inflicted on others. The fact of the matter is that the volume of work is contracting and it was a question of who would be kept on. According to what I think is a generally accepted fair code, the question of who would be retained was settled on the basis that those who had the longest service would be retained and that those who had the shortest service would go, and as far as less vacancies were concerned, a man on a higher rate got the option of being retained at a lower rate of pay.
Were any representations made by the Tánaiste or Minister for Social Welfare protesting against a reduction in these men's wages of 25/- a week?
One thing I can inform the Deputy is that no representations were made by the Deputy.
I am not the Deputy for the constituency, but the Tánaiste or Minister for Social Welfare is. These are his constituents.
If the Deputy is not a member for the constituency he had better leave it to the member for the constituency.
On a question of general policy, are we to understand that the Labour Party is in favour of a general reduction?
The question does not arise.
The question does not arise and the question is both lying and offensive.