I do not know the number but if the numbers who threatened to resign are small we should be told that there is no reason for alarm. That is no reason, however, why the worst paid body of men in the country should not get an immediate increase.
Another member asked a question and I found that in reply it was stated that other State employees got an increase on the 29th of last May to meet the increase in the cost of living. The Labour Court's award of 11/- was made last February while this other body of State employees got their increase last May—not too long I agree. I do not know what Department they belong to. Why is it necessary to bring over the Garda Force from February of last year and then give increase to other employees in May? Why pass over the Guards and tell them that they will get 11/- from the 1st January this year? That is the statement which I protest against and which I understand the Guards and their representative body have expressed dissatisfaction at. I thought the Government, in its graciousness to a loyal body of splendid workers, would at least go back to February, 1948 and not February or January of 1949.
The 11/- was never accepted, but suppose it was, if they were to get 12 months' back pay it would be some consolation to the Guards' wives and families who in November thought they were going to get an increase with a substantial Christmas box. I told the Guards in early December that they were getting their increase in pay and a Christmas box. It was a big blow when Christmas came and when some of the Guards with very large families were left without the beautiful substantial Christmas repast that most people have. As a result of their disappointment they had to do without the Christmas fare that was on the table of nearly every workingman in Dublin City.
I ask the Minister to consider the fact that it is almost two-and-a-half years since the Guards got an increase, but I want to say one thing for the Minister. I have spoken to those Guards who approached me, men with large families and long years of service, and told them that I was aware that the Minister's heart was entirely for them. I told them that his heart was in the pressure he was putting on to get the money but that he had got a disappointment and could not get the money with which he had hoped to fulfil his promise to the Guards. There are other things in the country that I think might wait so that the Guards could get that little increase which was promised to them and for which they have waited so patiently. All other organised bodies have in 1946, 1947 or 1948 been able to get an increase in wages—most of them through the pressure of trade unions. There is something to be said, therefore, for well-organised bodies and representatives of labour in being able to fight the cause of the men but we should not in this House take advantage of the fact that these men are not allowed to be in trade unions. They should be treated according to merit and equally as well as those who are in a position to embarrass their employers and the public. If it were transport or anything else that could cause a hold-up, I guarantee that an immediate effort would be made to meet the reasonable requests of those who were suffering hardships.
I have said almost more than I intended. I had not intended to say much because I believe I am pushing an open door when I am speaking to the Minister for Justice. I believe that his heart is in this affair and that he is as anxious as I am about them, if not more anxious, because he knows the loyalty of these men, how easy it would be to create uneasiness and of the threat of the resignation of most of the younger men. The older men cannot give up because they are near the pension period.
Any organised group of labourers in this city has better pay than a ten-year member of the Guards and that is not right when they are encouraged across the water. If a man can resign from the Guards in this country, get a ticket to England and get into the English police, he will get better wages.
I earnestly hope the Government will see that the threat of resignations will be brought to an end by satisfying the Guards and showing them that we have an interest in them, that we wish to show our thanks to them in a practical way for the work they have done in the past and so enable them to meet the rapidly increasing cost of living. We know how discontent can be created when they see organised bodies of workers, with representatives in this House, getting decent increases in their wages because of the fact that they can cause embarrassment to their employers. While that is so, our decent and loyal members of the Garda Síochána have to wait until the Minister can succeed, by putting pressure on the Government, in getting money. I know it is hard to get money. The Minister might be able to ease the whole situation if he were to make a statement, but that might be disloyal to his colleagues. He might be able to say that the money that we need to give the Guards, to the teachers and to the pensioned teachers——
