asked the Taoiseach if he will furnish particulars of pay, hours of work and holidays for industrial workers and agricultural workers in the nine countries of the enlarged EEC in the form of a reply of 28th April, 1970.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Workers' Conditions.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement showing data on rates of earnings, hours worked and holidays for industrial workers in this country, the present EEC countries and the United Kingdom in so far as it is possible to derive them from official sources. It should be borne in mind that the validity of international comparisons of figures of this kind may be impaired by differences relating to coverage and scope. The overall average figures also reflect the structure of manufacturing industry which differs substantially between the different countries.
The use of official exchange rates in international comparisons is another factor which affects their meaningfulness; however a valid comparison of relative money values between different countries would require a very detailed investigation based on consumption patterns and relative prices for principal consumption items in the different countries.
Corresponding data for the agricultural sector, which are comparable between different countries, are not available.
Following is the statement:
I.—Average earnings per hour and average weekly hours worked by industrial workers in manufacturing industry in the EEC countries.
Country |
Earnings per hour |
Average hours worked per week |
Period to which data relate |
||
Males* |
Females* |
All industrial workers |
|||
£ |
£ |
£ |
Number |
||
Ireland |
0.575 |
0.316 |
0.497 |
42.3 |
September 1971 |
Belgium |
0.701 |
0.475 |
0.645 |
42.2 |
October 1971 |
France |
0.526 |
0.397 |
0.489 |
44.6 |
September 1971 |
Germany (Federal Republic) |
0.880 |
0.622 |
0.816 |
43.3 |
October 1971 |
Italy |
0.514 |
0.391 |
0.479 |
42.1 |
October 1971 |
Luxembourg |
0.840 |
0.483 |
0.817 |
43.6 |
October 1971 |
Netherlands |
0.703 |
0.426 |
0.661 |
43.8 |
October 1971 |
United Kingdom |
0.720(a) |
0.421(b) |
... |
43.6(a) |
October 1971 |
37.5(b) |
*Including juveniles. ...Not available (a) Adult males. (b) Adult females.
NOTES.
(1) Data for Belgium, France, Germany (Federal Republic), Italy, Luxembourg and Netherlands are derived from report on Social Statistics, No. 1—1972, published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Data for the United Kingdom have been taken from the September 1972 issue of the Department of Employment Gazette.
(2) Particulars of earnings in non-sterling national currencies have been converted to sterling equivalents at the exchange rates current at the periods to which the data relate.
(3) Comparable figures for Denmark not available.
II.—Paid holidays for industrial workers in the EEC countries.
Country |
Legal minimum |
Minimum laid down by collective agreement |
Public holidays |
Total |
Days per year |
||||
Ireland |
14 consecutive days |
15 working days |
6 |
16–21 |
Belgium |
Three weeks |
— |
10 |
25–28 |
France |
2 working days per month |
24 |
8–10 |
32–34 |
Germany (Federal Republic) |
15–18 |
16–24 |
10–13 |
25–37 |
Italy |
— |
13–21 |
17 |
30–38 |
Luxembourg |
18–24 |
— |
10 |
28–34 |
Netherlands |
10–12 |
15–24 |
7 |
17–31 |
United Kingdom |
— |
generally 10: |
6 |
16–21 |
sometimes 15 |
NOTE.
Data for countries, other than Ireland, are derived from the EEC publication "The Common Market and the Common Man" (Third edition May 1971) and represent the situation in April 1970 for adult workers.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary will allow us to draw our own conclusions from the information he gives us. Why does he say comparable figures are not available? Is he telling us that in the countries of the EEC no records are kept at all with reference to agriculture?
There are statistics in relation to the agricultural sector, but they are not available.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is offering only an opinion. Will he give the information asked for in the question?
I have statistical information in the reply. I concede that it is a matter of my opinion.
If the Parliamentary Secretary gives the information required he can have any opinion he likes.