asked the Minister for Defence if he will state if he has received an application from the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union for an increase of 8/- per week for civilian chefs and waiters employed in a number of military barracks in Dublin, and, if so, whether he proposes to accede to this request, and thus bring the pay of these workers to the level of those employed in the same capacity elsewhere.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wages of Army Chefs.
The application referred to in the first part of the question was received in my Department on the 19th November, 1954. It was, in effect, a request to reopen a claim made by the union in 1952 for the grant of an increase of 18/- per week to the employees in question. After the most exhaustive and sympathetic examination of that claim, including consideration of increases granted at the time to comparable outside workers, it was found that the maximum increase which could be conceded was 12/6 per week and this increase was duly paid with effect from the 1st September, 1952. In these circumstances the union has been informed that its recent application is not one which could be favourably considered.