asked the Minister for Education the number of hours per week worked by watchmen employed to look after his Department's offices in Dublin at night and during weekends; the number of hours which must be worked before getting time off; the rate of wages; if steps are now being taken to improve their conditions of service; and, if not, why.
Written Answers. - Watchmen's Work and Conditions.
71.
Watchmen work 56 hours per week on a three-weekly rota basis, one day per week being free. The rate of wages for the watchmen is £18.35 per week with service pay, payable at the rate of 25p per week after five years, rising to £1 per week after 20 years. The rate of wages and other conditions of service relating to watchmen fall to be dealt with under the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for the Civil Service. No application for a change in these conditions has been submitted to my Department's Conciliation Council for consideration.
72.
asked the Minister for Justice the number of hours per week worked by watchmen employed to look after his Department's offices in Dublin at night and during weekends; the number of hours which must be worked before getting time off; the rate of wages; if steps are now being taken to improve their conditions of service; and, if not, why.
The answers to the questions are, respectively: 56; there is no provision for time off; £18.20 per week plus service pay; any claim for an improvement in conditions of service would be a matter to be dealt with under the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration for the Civil Service; there is no current claim pending under the scheme on behalf of these men.
73.
asked the Minister for Defence the number of hours per week worked by watchmen employed to look after his Department's offices in Dublin at night and during weekends; the number of hours which must be worked before getting time off; the rate of wages; if steps are now being taken to improve their conditions of service; and, if not, why.
The watchmen who look after my Department's offices in Dublin at night and during weekends are employed on a shift basis and each watchman works 48¾ hours and 68¼ hours in alternate weeks. The number of hours per shift varies from 9¼ to 14¾ hours. The rates of wages, which are related to a 54½ hour week, are £16.45 plus free quarters for a resident post and £18.20 for a non-resident post. Overtime is paid in respect of hours worked in excess of 109 per fortnight.
The conditions of service of the watchmen include three weeks annual leave and sick leave privileges. A proposed pension scheme for non-established State employees will be applicable to the posts. No other alteration in the conditions of service of watchmen is at present contemplated by my Department.
74.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the number of hours per week worked by watchmen employed to look after his Department's offices in Dublin at night and during weekends; the number of hours which must be worked before getting time off; the rate of wages; if steps are now being taken to improve their conditions of service; and, if not, why.
The number of hours per week worked by watchmen employed in my Department in Dublin is approximately 1,000. The majority of the watchmen are conditioned to a 109 hour fortnight and are allowed one night off in each fortnight, or an equivalent break. Their basic wage is £18.40 (two have £18.10) per week plus service pay, as appropriate. They are paid for work in excess of 109 hours per fortnight.
A small number of watchmen are employed casually and are paid on an hourly basis. The rate of pay varies between £0.209 and £0.267 per hour.
Watchmen have benefited fully from all the general pay rounds in the Civil Service. A claim for a reduction in hours of attendance on behalf of a number of full-time watchmen, who come within the scope of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the Civil Service, is currently before the Departmental Council. Full-time watchmen will benefit under the scheme, recently agreed, which provides pensions for non-established full-time Government employees.