asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the number of housing schemes operated by local authorities on the direct labour system from 1st April, 1948, to 30th September, 1950, the number of workers employed on such schemes, the number of houses completed, the number of labour disputes on such schemes, the number of workers involved in each dispute, the cause of dispute and the duration of each dispute, and the total number of working hours wasted as a result of those disputes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Trade Disputes and Appointment of Labour Relations Officer.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of the 12 months' period which ended 31st October, 1950, the number of trade disputes, involving stoppages of work, which occurred between (1) the local authorities and employees on direct labour schemes, and (2) local authorities and other employees not of officer rank; and if he will furnish in respect of each such dispute the following information, viz. (1) its duration; (2) the number of workers who ceased work; (3) the main cause of the dispute as known to the local authority concerned, and (4) the circumstances in which the dispute terminated.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state to what extent a local authority is free to settle labour disputes with its employees, resulting from demands for better wages or conditions of employment, without reference to his Department.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state whether it is proposed that mediation in a labour dispute between a local authority and its employees by the newly appointed labour relations officer may, at any stage in the process of mediation, take the form of a recommendation by the labour relations officer, relating to the terms and conditions of employment of the workers involved in the dispute and, if so, whether the workers and the local authority concerned will be free to accept or reject such recommendation.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state whether, in so far as acceptance of a recommendation of the newly appointed labour relations officer for the settlement of a trade dispute between a local authority and its employees may involve action by the local authority which requires his sanction, he is prepared to undertake to give his sanction in all such cases; and, if not, if he will state whether the refusal of such sanction in any case will terminate the mediation function of the labour relations officer in that case.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state what are the duties of the recently appointed labour relations officer in his Department and the salary and expenses attached to the post, and what were the reasons for the making of such a post.
Questions numbered 37 put down by Deputy Beegan, 38 to 41 by Deputy Lemass and 42 by Deputy Flanagan relate, directly or indirectly, to the recent appointment of a labour liaison officer in my Department and, with your permission, a Chinn Comhairle, I propose to take them together. I should like to say, in the first instance, that if the Deputies were moved to put down those questions by an unauthorised Press report of the appointment in my Department of an officer described in the report as a labour relations officer, the report referred to was inaccurate, incomplete and misleading both in regard to the title of the office and the nature and extent of the duties attaching to it.
Section 42 of the Local Government Act, 1946, brought the remuneration of servants of local authorities under the control of the appropriate Minister for the first time and since then proposals to increase their remuneration have been subject to ministerial sanction. The Industrial Relations Act, 1946, did not give local authorities' employees a right of access to the labour court, but the county and city managers have been authorised to deal with increases in the remuneration of tradesmen and skilled employees, based on variations in the locally recognised trade union rates, and in the case of certain other employees, based on variations in the wage rates paid locally in what is customarily regarded as employment of a comparable nature. The interpretation and application of this authorisation to particular cases or classes of cases involve frequent references to and rulings from my Department. Where it is proposed to pay higher rates than the local recognised rates, my sanction is also necessary.
The authorisation referred to does not cover road workers' wages, variations in which are considered by me according as proposals are submitted by the road authorities. The use of the direct labour system is, of course, in much more general operation on road works than on housing schemes and it is, therefore, quite incorrect to assume that the functions of the labour liaison officer will relate mainly, or to any great extent, to direct labour housing schemes, in which, I am happy to say, the number of disputes has been very small.
In addition to stoppages of work, numerous questions are constantly being raised in regard to working conditions as well as remuneration. These questions arise in relation to men employed on housing, roads and sanitary services contracts as well as in relation to men employed directly by local authorities. Questions also arise as to the definition of local rates of wages and of fair-wages clauses in contracts. Controversies arise on such questions as the use of machinery for certain classes of work or the employment of labour from districts outside the area in which a particular work is in progress or in regard to the use on works of materials produced in other areas. While it is my policy to leave these matters to be settled locally, if possible, my intervention is frequently bespoken by either or both of the parties involved and I sometimes find it essential to intervene where important works may otherwise be delayed or where public funds may be liable to sustain loss as a result of disputes.
Many of the disputes which lead to strikes or engender discontent arise from misunderstandings or negligence on one side or both and should it be possible to resolve these factors of contention at an early stage, the number of actual interruptions of work can be materially reduced.
The duties of the labour liaison officer recently appointed include the submission of reports and recommendations to my Department in all these matters as well as assisting local settlements in every way possible.
There have been strong demands from the employees of local authorities for a right of access to the Labour Court or for the establishment of alternative machinery for arbitration or conciliation. Section 58 of the Local Government (County Administration) Bill, 1950, at present before the House, proposes to give classes of local servants a right of appeal from the county officer to the local authority. In conjunction with that provision it is intended to suggest to the local authorities that they should set up wages advisory committees. Such committees would become the bases of local mediation and conciliation and would advise the local authorities as to the action they might take on appeals. It is proposed that the officer to whom the Deputies refer will provide the necessary liaison relationship between my Department on the one side and the local conflicting interests on the other. It is hoped that his knowledge of local employment conditions generally will facilitate settlements of disputes on a basis making for a fair degree of uniformity of treatment of local employees throughout the country. A good deal of work in this connection can be undertaken by the labour liaison officer in advance and, indeed, independently of the legislative proposal to which I have referred.
It is not intended to have compulsory arbitration. The final local decision will rest with the rating authority and the workers will be free to reject the decision. Where the decision involves an increase in wages, it will require my sanction, subject to the terms of the general authorisation to which I have referred. A further function of the officer in question will be to advise as to the action I should take when my sanction to any such increase is being sought. No party will be compulsorily committed beforehand to the acceptance of any decision and failure to reach or agree to a decision will not preclude further efforts to succeed. The efforts of the labour liaison officer in such cases will proceed as far as I consider them likely to prove fruitful.
The salary for the post is £800 a year, and the usual appropriate travelling and subsistence allowances are payable.
I have not sufficiently detailed or comprehensive statistics to give the information sought in some of the questions as to the number and extent of various disputes. The other particulars required by Deputy Beegan are being compiled and will be forwarded to him.
Can the Minister assure Deputies Lemass and Beegan that the only dispute of the kind referred to in their questions, which took place in my area, arose as a direct result of a provocative action by the county manager in refusing to pay the recognised union rates of wages?
That is a separate question.
And that it was only on the intervention of the Minister that the manager agreed——
That is entirely a separate question.
Will the Minister state by what means or by whom was the work done previously which it is now contemplated this liaison officer will do?
Generally by officers of the Department. It was a digression from their other duties. The inspectors were doing it in various parts of the country. There was no special man for it.
Could the Minister say how many applicants were there for this post and how it was filled? Was it by public advertisement?
Temporary position.
The "local appointments commission."
Arising out of the Minister's very lengthy reply, I am surprised that he cannot give the information sought, in view of the very long reply he has given, implying that we were either directly or indirectly concerned with the recent appointment. Is the Minister not well aware that the question of direct labour versus contract in the building of houses is a question that is being considered by various local authorities all over the country, and does he not agree that such information as I have asked for in my question would be very useful information in deciding an issue of that kind?
I will send that information to the Deputy when I have it.
I will give him a little bit more privately.