asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that the wages paid to Land Commission workers in North Tipperary are less than those paid to county council road workers there; and if he will consider bringing the wages of the Land Commission workers up to the rate paid by the county council.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wages of Land Commission Workers in North Tipperary.
24.
When introducing the Lands Estimate last June, I informed the House that an Incentive Bonus Scheme similar to that in operation in State Forests was being extended to workers employed on Land Commission improvement works. This involved the introduction as from 1st April, 1960, of a new basic wage structure for Land Commission workers throughout the country. The new Incentive Bonus Scheme wage structure, which will be in operation in North Tipperary at a very early date, will enable Land Commission workers to earn considerably more than road workers.
Is the Minister aware that both forestry workers and county councils workers have received an increase in wages? Is he further aware that this scheme was prepared for Land Commission workers and he gave an assurance to the House that payment would be retrospective to last April?
I gave no such assurance to the House at any time. The differential between county council workers and Land Commission workers in that area is 6/- per week. I have informed the Deputy that a new Incentive Bonus Scheme is being applied to Land Commission workers in that area and it will probably come into operation in the coming week.
But these workers have suffered the loss of the differential in the meantime.
The Deputy is well aware that there is no uniformity between county councils in the rates they pay.
But there has been uniformity between the wages paid to county council workers, forestry workers and Land Commission workers in each county.
I do not accept that.
The Minister may accept it.
Does the Minister not think it an injustice to keep the workers for over 12 months out of this money, even though it is only 6/- a week? Will the Minister give an assurance that when he does bring in the Bonus Incentive Scheme, he will give the workers back money over 12 months?
As the Deputy will appreciate, the introduction of a bonus scheme of this kind is a complicated business. It is being applied in a new field of Land Commission activity. It has naturally taken some time to work the scheme out to cover the different Land Commission jobs. Work has proceeded on the scheme as quickly as we were able to proceed. I want to repeat that I did not at any time give an undertaking to the House that there would be any retrospection. I have assured the Deputy that the new bonus scheme will be in operation, according to my information, either this week or next week.
But the workers will be 12 months out of this 6/- per week.