asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development if he has any proposals to put to the social partners to encourage the emergence of agreed procedures for the settlement of wage and salary claims in 1979, after the expiry of the present national wage agreement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pay Claims.
8.
As the recent delegate conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions decided against negotiations for a further national wage agreement, some new arrangements for wage and salary determination after the expiry of the current agreement will be required. For the majority of workers, however, the present agreement will not expire until the end of May, 1979. Moreover, there are other possible developments which could influence the course of the economy in 1979 and whose content would presumably need to be established before any agreements or final decisions were made. For this reason, it would be inappropriate for the Government to put forward any proposals for possible new procedures at this juncture.