asked the Minister for Finance whether he will initiate steps towards providing for equal pay for men and women doing equal work in the State service.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Equal Pay for Equal Work.
60.
A claim for the application of equal pay for equal work by men and women in the non-industrial civil service has been lodged by the Civil Service General Staff Side. The claim is being dealt with under the scheme of conciliation and arbitration for the Civil Service and, in the circumstances, comment on it at this stage would not be appropriate.
The recent pay agreement provided the same minimum increase for men and women in the public service.
Whilst accepting the Minister's point that comment would perhaps not be helpful at the moment can we assume that the announcement by his colleague, Deputy Colley, Minister for Industry and Commerce, during the election campaign about a phased advance towards equal pay for equal work would be the official position?
It has started, in fact.
The only thing I can say is that we have already started, in the recent pay agreement, applying the principle.
Is the Minister aware that at a recent meeting between the County Managers' Association and the unions representing the local authority employees the Managers' Association refused to implement the full £1 per week from 1st October and asked for a pro rata increase to be given to women? Will he advise his colleague that that is contrary to the agreement which was made?
That is a different matter.
It is not a different matter.
I am not so aware.
The Minister is aware now.
Is the Minister aware that the International Labour Office adopted a convention on this matter 21 years ago?
I am so aware and I am also aware that there are many, many international conventions.
Is it not a fact that many countries signed it but that Britain and ourselves and various other countries of that group did not sign it?
I understand that when this came up during the period he was economic adviser to the Government he told them not to sign it.
On the contrary, when I was a civil servant and a paper was sent round there were two people in the Department of Finance——
(Interruptions.)
Listen to what I have to say. When I was a civil servant there were two people in the Department of Finance who wrote in favour of accepting the convention. I was one of them, the other was a woman.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
That shook him.
I think the Deputy changed his view when he became a politician and became economic adviser to the Government.
No, he did not.
(Interruptions.)
I did not change my view.
A couple of times.
(Interruptions.)
He is the only conservative socialist in the country.
Not a bad thing to be.