I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. In promoting this Bill, I am bearing in mind that the Oireachtas, by the Agricultural Workers (Weekly Half-Holidays) Act, 1951, has already approved, in principle, of the granting of a weekly half-holiday to agricultural workers. But, as I have previously stated in this House, the 1951 Act, while it requires agricultural employers to give a half-holiday each week to agricultural workers, was not framed in a sufficiently clear and workable manner. For example, while one provision of the Act gave the Agricultural Wages Board power to prescribe rates of pay for the half-holiday, another section actually laid down how rates of pay for the half-holiday are to be computed. Moreover, the Act conferred no power on the Agricultural Wages Board in regard to its enforcement.
When I decided some time ago that the Wages Board ought to be made responsible for the administration of the half-holiday legislation for agricultural workers, I examined whether it would be possible to amend the 1951 Act, but I came to the conclusion that to put it on a proper footing would require so many amendments that it would be far more convenient for everybody to repeal it entirely and replace it by a new Act.
In this Bill the most important new provision is the provision similar to those already contained in the Agricultural Wages Acts and the Agricultural Workers (Holidays) Act, 1950, whereby officers of the Wages Board may take proceedings on behalf of a worker who has been underpaid, or not paid at all, in respect of work done on the half-day. I have also provided that in fixing rates of minimum wages the board shall act with due regard to this Bill.
There is another provision in the Bill which I would like to mention specifically, and that is the requirement that, before a worker is entitled to the half-holiday, he shall have completed 45 hours' work in the previous five week-days. I think it is only fair that, before asking a farmer to give a worker a half-day, that worker should normally have completed his full quota of work on the previous five days.
I am retaining in the new Bill the principle that the worker may, if he wishes and with his employer's consent, remain at work on the half-day, provided the employer pays him for it at a rate not less than a rate to be prescribed by the board.
I have also included in the Bill a provision that, where the day on which the worker is to be allowed a half-holiday falls on a day on which he takes a day's annual holidays under the Agricultural Workers (Holidays) Act, 1950, or on a Church holiday or public holiday allowed to him by arrangement with his employer, or on a day on which he is otherwise absent from work, he will not be entitled to a half-day in that week.
I have also included in the Bill a provision which will be for the benefit of workers, such as dairy workers who normally would have completed more than half their day's work before 1 p.m. Under this provision a worker who has completed five hours' work on the morning of the day on which he is to get his half-holiday will then be entitled to the half-holiday without waiting until 1 p.m.
I have also provided that this Bill when enacted will not be brought into operation until a day which I shall appoint by Order. It is necessary to do this, because the Agricultural Wages Board will require a certain amount of time before they can prescribe minimum rates of payment for work done on the half-day, and make any other necessary arrangements in connection with the operation of this Act. From the day when I bring this Act into operation, the Agricultural Workers (Weekly Half-Holidays) Act, 1951, will stand repealed. I commend this Bill to the House.