asked the Minister for Labour the information, if any, which is available on wage agreements over and above the current national wage agreement; and if it is the Government's policy to approve of such agreements.
Written Answers. - Wage Agreements.
253.
It is not the Government's policy to approve of wage settlements outside the terms of the national agreement. In the course of negotiations for the current agreement, it was recognised that some flexibility for wage bargaining at local level was necessary and, for this reason, provision was made for the negotiation of supplementary increases at local level which would not add more than 2 per cent to basic pay costs. The agreement also allowed for pay increases in excess of this limit where, as a result of consultation, negotiation and agreement, exceptional changes in payment-by-results, piece-work, commission, productivity and flexibility schemes or new productivity schemes were introduced. The agreement did not provide for the notification to any authority of any such pay increases.
The Government accepted that there would be some increases above the standard terms of the national agreement, to allow mainly for genuine productivity and other adjustments. In the event, the level of increases above the standard terms of the agreement has been substantially higher than what was expected.