asked the Minister for Transport and Power if it is proposed to publish the Report of the Tribunal established to consider salaries and wages of Electricity Supply Board staff; when the Report will be published; and what action it is proposed to take on the Report.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - ESB Salaries and Wages Tribunal.
8.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to a recent decision of the ESB General Employees Tribunal on claims for increased salaries for certain ESB officer staff.
It is not the practice of the tribunal to publish their decisions but the decisions are furnished by the tribunal to the parties concerned. I am informed that this has been done in the present case. It is also the practice of the tribunal to circulate their annual report to trade unions and employers' associations and other parties who may be interested.
As required by the terms of the White Paper Closing the Gap and envisaged in the reply to a Parliamentary Question addressed to the Minister for Finance on 6th March, 1963, the ESB brought the terms of the award to the notice of the Government. The Board was informed that having regard to the likely consequences of granting the salary increases as proposed it was the considered view of the Government that the ESB should await the completion of an objective study of the progress of the national economy before arriving at a decision regarding the implementation of the present award of the General Employees Tribunal. I understand that the Board has since communicated with the staff associations concerned.
Would the Minister say when the claim in respect of these wages and salaries was originally made?
There have been negotiations for some considerable time, since July, 1962.
The claim was first made in July, 1962?
Yes.
Does the Minister say now that the terms of the White Paper are to be applied to the ESB when these negotiations started as far back as July, 1962?
All the relevant factors had to be considered. The fact that the claim was originally made before the issue of the White Paper does not mean that it would not come within the Government's decision as conveyed in the White Paper, Closing the Gap, requesting State companies to postpone the granting of increases. The fact that the claim was made before the Government's decision does not invalidate the Government's decision. It is a most complex matter and it would be impossible to go into details in regard to it. The Government's decision was set out in the White Paper which also states:
It is not envisaged that conciliation and arbitration procedures should be put in suspense but rather that the findings should be considered in relation to their possible reaction in other sectors and, if necessary, not applied until this can be done without damage to the national economic interest.
Is the Minister aware that before the report was published, the ESB had considered the admonition given through the White Paper but still considered that increases should be made? What the Minister has now said is that the Government have, in fact, imposed a wage and salary standstill as far as these employees are concerned.
The ESB took into account the nature of the claim and also the Government's attitude which I have just indicated. The question of the implementation of it was considered in conjunction with the terms of the White Paper.
Has the Minister not said that the Government's decision is that these increases should not be conceded?
The tribunal had regard to that portion of the White Paper which clearly indicated that negotiations could take place and awards made. The postponement of the award relates to the improvement of the economy.
Then what is the use of negotiation? This is, in fact, a wages standstill order.
The Taoiseach has made the matter clear to the public on many occasions. He has said that as the economy grows in strength, wages will naturally rise.
The wages standstill order is in operation and you can talk as long as you like.
Is that not proof that the economy is not increasing and that the workers are not to get their increases?