andMr. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will list all conciliation and arbitration bodies in operation in the public service; if the official side is bound by their awards; and if any machinery exists for co-ordinating their policies.
Written Answers. - Public Service Conciliation and Arbitration.
254.
Subject in certain cases to appropriate salary or grade ceilings, conciliation and arbitration schemes operate for the following categories in the public service: (1) non-industrial civil servants; (2) Garda Síochána; (3) teachers; (4) clerical and administrative staffs of vocational education committees; (5) chief executive officers employed by vocational education committees; (6) certain salaried staff of local authorities and health boards; (7) branch managers of employment offices, Department of Social Welfare; (8) postmasters at suboffices.
The various schemes have detailed provisions regarding the treatment of arbitration board findings. In general Ministers and official sides are not bound by the terms of the schemes to accept findings, but under most of the schemes motions must be moved by the Government or the Minister concerned in Dáil Éireann if rejection or modification of findings is proposed. Government policy is that all arbitration boards should so far as possible have the same chairman. The Department of the Public Service have overall responsibility for co-ordinating official side pay policy in the public service.