asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will make a statement on the position of the Agricultural Wages Board in view of the Government announcement that it is proposed to bring all wage fixing bodies under the auspices of the Labour Court.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Wages Board.
33.
It is not envisaged that any change will be made in the position where by minimum rates of Wages for agricultural workers are fixed by the Agricultural Wages Board, while, at the same time, agricultural workers have access to the Labour Court for the purposes of trade disputes.
Is this not another case of the State attempting to have two types of workers, agricultural workers and others? Is it not another attempt to try to prove that the agricultural worker, for some extraordinary reason, is a lesser individual than the ordinary type of worker?
Is what an attempt?
Is the fact that the Minister is leaving agricultural workers out of the scope of his very wide statement not an attempt to have two types of workers, agricultural workers and other? The Minister is aware that the Agricultural Wages Board is not the same as the Joint Industrial Council under the auspices of the Labour Court. The Agricultural Wages Board have a peculiar type of set-up.
It is a specialist body.
It could not be called that. It was set up in 1936 and, although it is 30 years out of date, it is being continued. Would the Minister not take this chance to modernise the wage-fixing machinery for agricultural workers?
It is not envisaged that the Labour Court will be a wage-fixing body which would replace such wage-fixing bodies.
Is the Minister not aware that the Labour Court at present has a group of bodies, joint industrial councils, that are, in fact, wage-fixing bodies? Can he give any good reason why agricultural workers should be left outside that particular machinery?
They have their own specialist wage-fixing machinery and the Labour Court will be available for disputes.
"Specialist", with no wage——
I think we should inquire where Deputy Cronin is, who has tabled Question No. 34.
He is not in the Law Courts, anyhow.
I shall ask it on his behalf.
Deputy Dowling is learning.