asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the grounds on which he based the decision to make the recent increase of 11/- granted to employees of the Office of Public Works in the Phænix Park and St. Stephen's Green, effective only from the 1st October, 1948, in view of the fact (i) that other sections of lower paid State employees received the same increase from the 29th May, and (ii) that the claim for increased wages was first made on behalf of the employees of the Office of Public Works in May, 1948.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Board of Works Workers' Wages.
The employees of the Office of Public Works in the Phænix Park and St. Stephen's Green are in a different category as regards determination of wages from the sections of lower paid State employees who received pay increases from 29th May, 1948. The wages of the former are normally determined after consideration by the Inter-Departmental Wages Advisory Committee and, while in April, 1947, they were given, as an interim arrangement, the increases allowed to civil servants under the 1946 revision of pay, they received a further increase as a result of a recommendation by the Wages Advisory Committee in August, 1947, both increases being antedated to 1st November, 1946. The employees' case was last reviewed by the committee in October, 1948, and when this third increase in wages was sanctioned there was no good reason for allowing it as from the date on which the general Civil Service classes received their second increase, and it was considered reasonable to make the new increase retrospective to 1st October, 1948.
I have given further consideration to this matter in the light of representations received from the organisations representing the employees concerned, and I have come to the conclusion that, as there was some delay in submitting the application for increased wages to the Wages Advisory Committee. I would be justified in making the increase retrospective to 1st August, 1948. I have given instructions to this effect.