asked the Minister for Labour if there has been any legal action consequent on the breaking of registered agreements over the past five years; and if he will give the incidence of such agreements being broken over the same period.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Breaking of Registered Agreements.
53.
Mr. O'Leary
Under section 32 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1946, complaints of breaches of registered agreements fall to be dealt with by the Labour Court and the function of the Minister is limited to the prosecution of employers or trade unions who fail to comply with orders made by the Labour Court under that section. No case has arisen in the past five years in which either employers or unions failed to comply with such orders. The question of legal proceedings did not therefore arise.
I am informed by the Labour Court that the position is as follows:— 18 complaints alleging non-compliance with the terms of registered agreements were received by the Court under section 32 of the Act in the period November, 1961, to date. In 16 cases the matters in dispute were adjusted voluntarily following intervention by the Court and the complaints were withdrawn. In the case of one complaint the Court held a public hearing and, having found the complaint to be well founded, made an order directing compliance with the terms of the agreement. The direction was carried out and the question of legal action did not therefore arise. In the remaining case the Court, having formally heard the complaint, found it to be not well-founded.