asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs whether casual workers in the post office stores branch will receive the pay increase recently announced in respect of State employees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Post Office Stores Casual Workers.
Casual labourers employed in the stores branch do not come within the scope of the Civil Service pay increases recently announced. I would refer the Deputy to a reply given by me on the 5th instant to a similar question regarding their pay.
Is the Minister aware that the workers who are described as casual workers in this particular section of his Department are in reality temporary workers, many of them with two, three or more years service? In view of that fact would he tell me what is the justification for refusing these men the same increase as their fellow workers?
This is purely a departmental matter. There is a committee called the Inter-Departmental Wages Advisory Committee which makes recommendations to the Minister for Finance in the light of pay and conditions obtaining for comparable grades in the Civil Service and in outside employment. The present wages of casual labourers in the stores branch were fixed in accordance with the recommendation of this committee. Recently the Post Office Workers' Union asked to have the question reviewed and it is about to be referred again to the committee.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply I must give notice of raising the question on the Adjournment.