Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 1991

Vol. 406 No. 7

Written Answers. - Minimum Wage Cover.

Richard Bruton

Question:

145 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Labour the areas of employment in which a minimum wage is set by the joint labour committees; and whether he has proposals to extend these areas in view of the concern about very low wages being paid to employees in some employments and EC proposals to extend minimum wage cover.

Minister for Labour (Mr. B. Ahern)

Joint labour committees (JLCs) operate in the following areas of employment: (1) aerated waters, (2) agriculture, (3) brush and broom manufacture, (4) catering, (5) contract cleaning, (6) hairdressing, (7) handkerchief and household piece goods, (8) hotels, (9) law clerks, (10) provender milling, (11) shirt making, (12) tailoring and (13) women's clothing and millinery.

It is open to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions or any individual trade union to apply to the Labour Court to have a joint labour committee established. An application by the Irish Distributive and Administrative Trade Union and the Irish National Union of Vintners, Grocers and Allied Trades Assistants for the establishment of a JLC to cover the retail grocery and allied trades is currently under consideration by the Labour Court.

The Industrial Relations Act, 1990, contains a number of measures which are designed to facilitate the establishment of JLCs, to improve the functioning of existing JLCs and to bring about more effective enforcement of employment regulation orders. In addition, one of the functions of the new Labour Relations Commission will be to carry out periodic reviews to determine whether new JLCs should be established or existing JLCs extended. These changes will ensure that the joint labour committee system functions efficiently and effectively and adequately addresses the problem of low pay in certain sectors.

TheProgramme for Economic and Social Progress provides for consideration during the currency of the agreement by the Employer-Labour Conference of all the issues in regard to statutory minimum wages, including the operation of joint labour committees.