asked the Minister for Finance what are the terms of the Fair Wages Clause now inserted in Government contracts; whether any, and, if so, what alteration of the clause has been made since October, 1922.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. WRITTEN ANSWERS. - FAIR WAGES CLAUSE IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
The following Fair Wages Clause was adopted by the Government Contracts Committee in January, 1923, as a standard Fair Wages Clause for all Government contracts, and is at present in force:—
Contractors for Government work are required in the execution of their contracts to observe and fulfil the following obligations:—
"The contractor shall pay rates of wages and observe hours of labour not less favourable than those commonly recognised by employers and trade societies (or, in the absence of such recognised wages and hours, those which in practice prevail amongst good employers) in the trade in the district where the work is carried out. Where there are no such wages and hours recognised or prevailing in the district, those recognised or prevailing in the nearest district in which the general industrial circumstances are similar shall be adopted. Further, the conditions of employment generally accepted in the district in the trade concerned shall be taken into account in considering how far the terms of the Fair Wages Clause are being observed, and for this purpose also regard shall be had to the conditions of employment generally, in the contracting firm. The contractor shall be prohibited from transferring or assigning, directly or indirectly, to any person or persons whatever, any portion of his contract without the written permission of the Department. Sub-letting, other than that which may be customary in the trade concerned, shall be prohibited. The contractor shall be responsible for the observance of the Fair Wages Clause by the sub-contractor."
This notice must be prominently exhibited for the information of the work people on the premises where work is being executed under a Government contract.
The above clause, except for a few verbal changes, is the same as that which was in force between October, 1922, and January, 1923.