asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that the British Equal Pay Bill is in progress; and if he will make a statement about Government policy on equal pay for equal work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Equal Pay for Equal Work.
84.
I am aware of the Bill to which the Deputy refers.
As I indicated recently in the House, the principle of "equal pay" is part of the question of the status of women generally which will be considered by the commission to be set up by the Government, which was announced recently. The present situation is that pay and conditions of workers are settled by negotiations between the parties and improvements for women workers can be, and are, negotiated under collective bargaining procedures.
Would the Minister not agree that, in view of the fact that the British Bill has gone through a Second Reading at Westminster and is likely to be enacted in the near future, if we are to await the commission's report here it would be quite some time before progress is reported in the Republic in this matter? Anomalies, particularly in terms of attracting women workers to Britain, are likely to develop.
I do not agree that time is a factor here. We are often accused of following slavishly what other countries, particularly Britain, do. We can often learn a lot from what other countries try to do. We can try to avoid their mistakes. The Bill is now having a Second Reading. The date specified for its being enforced is 29th December, 1975, which is a full five years away. Any commission we might set up now would be very inactive if we have not formulated some scheme to take effect before then.
Would the Minister not agree that this Bill will be on the British Statute Book at the end of the year? Bearing in mind the tremendous common characteristics between the labour force in the Republic, Northern Ireland and Great Britain generally, would the Minister not agree that there seems to be no useful reason for delay in the Republic in this matter? The fact of the matter is that the British have introduced such a Bill. We are not doing anything in this regard.
I am not sure that the terms of the Bill would attract many of our people to work in England. From the debate on the Bill it would appear that one of the fears most people there entertain is that this may result in fewer women getting work.