Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 1991

Vol. 406 No. 7

Written Answers. - Employment Experience Survey.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

144 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Labour whether his Department have carried out any survey of the early employment experience of young workers in view of the widespread concern that such workers are being exploited by low pay and rapid turnover; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Labour (Mr. B. Ahern)

Every year my Department undertake a sample survey of the post-education experience of young people. Its primary purpose is to trace the career paths of students leaving secondary level education in a particular academic year in terms of the proportions entering the labour market, going onto third level education or emigrating. The survey does not address the specific issue of pay or labour turnover among the sample surveyed.

A number of research projects have been carried out in relation to the question of low pay. The most recent one entitled "Low Pay in Ireland" (February 1991) was commissioned by my Department and was carried out by Mr. Brian Nolan, Senior Research Officer, Economic and Social Research Institute.

The research indicates that about 50 per cent of those workers falling under a number of low pay thresholds are young workers aged under 25. Low paid full-time workers tend to be concentrated in the categories of unskilled and semiskilled manual workers, lower grades in clerical and office employment and general indoor sales staff. These also are areas which are normally associated with high levels of labour turnover.

The issue of low pay arose in the discussions on a newProgramme for Economic and Social Progress. During the currency of the agreement the Employer-Labour Conference will consider all the issues involved, including the operation of the joint labour committee system, in regard to a statutory minimum wage and prepare a report for consideration of the constituent bodies of the conference.

I have improved the enforcement of employment regulation orders and as a result the arrears collected in 1990 have increased by over 40 per cent over the arrears for 1989.

The Industrial Relations Act, 1990, contains a number of measures which are designed to facilitate the establishment of JLCs, to improve the functioning of existing JLCs and to bring about more effective enforcement of employment regulation orders. In addition, one of the functions of the new Labour Relations Commission will be to carry out periodic reviews to determine whether new JLCs should be established or existing JLCs extended. These changes will ensure that the joint labour committee system functions efficiently and effectively and adequately addresses the problem of low pay in certain sectors.

An application for the establishment of a JLC to cover the retail grocery and allied trades is currently under consideration by the Labour Court.