asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will indicate the average wages and other facilities available to turf workers who recently went on strike compared with earnings in each of the years 1946 to 1951, inclusive, and if he will state whether recent weather conditions would have hindered the performance of work for which they were employed if no strike occurred.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Turf Workers' Wages.
The average wages and facilities available to turf workers employed by Bord na Móna are set out in a tabular statement which I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have included in the Official Report.
I am informed by Bord na Móna that it would be a very lengthy and laborious task to give for the years in question the comparable earnings. The average earnings per hour of unskilled workers in recent weeks are set out in the tabular statement. The board have informed me that, while it is difficult to assess what effects the weather conditions would have had on production, even if there had not been a strike, they are of opinion that the weather would have affected production adversely. Very considerable quantities of turf would, nevertheless, have been produced if the stoppage of work had not taken place.