asked the Minister for Labour if his attention has been drawn to a statement from the Labour Court that arbitration has not found favour in the settling of industrial disputes; and if he will comment on same.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Arbitration in Industrial Disputes.
65.
In the ten years 1959 to 1968, 22 trade disputes were referred to arbitration under the Industrial Relations Act, 1946. The figure shows that arbitration has found little acceptance as a method of settling trade disputes which come within the scope of the Act.
The Government's policy is to provide the necessary machinery for arbitration so that the parties to a dispute can use it if they wish. It is an encouraging development that a number of recent agreements covering pay and other conditions have provided for arbitration in disputes about interpretation of the agreements.