asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he is aware of the inadequacy of the conciliation machinery in the ESB for manual workers; and if he will take such steps as are open to him to provide suitable machinery to deal with matters affecting the wages and conditions of the workers concerned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - ESB Manual Workers.
2.
Section 11 of the Electricity Supply Board (Superannuation) Act, 1942, provides that disputes between the Board of the ESB and all or any of its manual workers shall at the request of the board or of the other party or parties to the dispute be referred to and determined by the Manual Workers Tribunal established under that Act.
I would also refer the Deputy to the national agreement concluded in May, 1964, by the ESB and the trade unions regarding wages and main conditions of employment of manual workers in the board's service, which provides for procedures to be followed in dealing with disputes prior to reference to the Statutory Tribunal.
As regards the second part of the question, I have asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce to consider it in connection with the general review of industrial relations legislation in which he is at present engaged.
Is the Minister not aware that the machinery is inadequate? There is no conciliation machinery in existence. That is the point. It is not the Tribunal we refer to.
The Deputy knows it would be most injudicious for us to have any kind of discussion in relation to questions on this kind of matter, having regard to action now being taken in connection with the threatened strike. I have already told the Deputy that the whole of this question is being studied by the Minister for Industry and Commerce and I have been consulting with him in relation to future industrial relations legislation. I think the Deputy should restrain himself on this occasion. I am sure he would not wish to say anything that would have effect at present.
Surely the Minister realises that due to the absence of conciliation machinery, we are now in the bad position in which we find ourselves.