asked the Taoiseach if his recent statement at UCD, in which he referred to excessive wage increases, indicates a changed attitude on the Government's part to the usefulness of a national wage agreement as a national collective bargaining instrument.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Wage Agreement.
2.
No. The usefulness or otherwise of national wage agreements depends on the extent to which they contribute to economic growth, price stability and full employment: and that must be assessed in the circumstances of each case.
At the same venue, perhaps later in his speech when he had dealt with the failure to reach unemployment targets, the Taoiseach referred to excessive wage increases and I should like the Taoiseach to indicate to the House if this implies a criticism of the usefulness of the present national agreements in bringing about the kind of results he mentioned in his reply.
On the contrary, as the Leader of the Government responsible for introducing the concept of national pay agreements, I am very much committed to their continuance. There have been some instances where the spirit, if not the letter, of the national pay agreement has been breached in recent times. I hope that the national pay agreement will hold and that such agreements will continue as a feature of our industrial relations in the future. I want to assure the Deputy that that is my hope.
Could the Taoiseach say whether the Government have communicated their criticisms of certain increases to the Employer-Labour Conference or was this the first public expression of the Government's dissatisfaction with the working of the national agreement?
It was not the first expression of our concern that there are inordinate wage demands which are affecting the stability of employment. That was not the first expression by any means.
Would the Taoiseach identify which settlements, in his view, did not comply with the spirit, if not with the letter, of the agreement?
That is a separate question.
The Taoiseach raised the issue and, therefore, it is hardly a separate question. In the course of his reply the Taoiseach said that in some instances the spirit, if not the letter, of the national pay agreement had been breached and surely it is in order for me to ask him to identify which settlement did not comply with the agreement.
That is a separate question.
I am not prepared to do that publicly now.
Does the Taoiseach just want to generalise?
I was not generalising when I said there were some instances.
The Taoiseach wants to condemn by implication.
No.
The Taoiseach should identify the settlements.