asked the Minister for Lands if he is aware that grave discontent exists among forestry workers in many centres owing to the discrepancy in wage rates and that in Cong forest, County Mayo, the rate is £4 per week while in all other forest centres in Mayo it is £4 8s. per week, and if he will take immediate steps to have the higher rate paid in all forest centres where such centres overlap a county border.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Forestry Workers' Wages.
The present wage structure under which the rates of pay of road workers in each county are applied to forest lying wholly or mainly in the county has operated since April, 1950. Liability to discrepancies in wage rates between forests in adjoining counties was an inherent feature of the arrangement from the time of its inception and could not be overcome by the expedient the Deputy suggests.
Cong forest lies mainly in County Galway and the rate of wages paid is that of the road workers employed by the Galway County Council. This follows the general arrangement introduced in April, 1950.
Would the Minister not consider that, for the sake of the few pounds extra involved, the rule that obtains ought to be reversed in this particular case? It would appear that the Department is taking advantage of the fact that lower wages are paid in one county than in another in cases where a forest centre lies on a county boundary. That is causing great discontent in Cong and in many other similar centres. Would the Minister consider changing the system by paying the higher rate of wages in all forest centres that happen to be on county boundaries? The present system is causing discontent, and rightly so, amongst the workers in the various centres.
The Minister for Finance would probably like to have some say about that.
The Minister for Finance will not agree to anything.