Eric J. Byrne
Ceist:7 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Labour when the proposed Joint Labour Committee for the grocery trade will be established; the number of employees to be covered by the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grocery Trade Joint Labour Committee.
Following the completion of an inquiry into an application by the Irish Distributive and Administrative Trade Union and the Irish National Union of Vintners, Grocers and Allied Trades Assistants, the Labour Court made an Establishment Order setting up a Joint Labour Committee for the Retail, Grocery and Allied Trades, with effect from 2 April 1991. The Labour Court has sought nominations for appointment to the committee from the trade unions and employer bodies, and I am in the process of appointing an independent chairman.
Once established, the committee will draw up proposals for fixing rates of pay and the conditions of employment for the workers concerned and when these proposals have been ratified by the Labour Court through the making of an Employment Regulation Order they become statutory minimum pay and statutory conditions of employment for the workers concerned. It is estimated that there are 28,000 workers employed in the sectors covered by the new Joint Labour Committee.
May I ask the Minister to enlighten the House further on the scope of the new Joint Labour Committee? For example, can he assure the House that the corner shop, where there has been a great deal of exploitation of low paid labour, sometimes related to the family enterprise allowance scheme, is included within the scope of this order? Is he satisfied that his Department will have available to them the manpower to enforce this order when it becomes operative? Finally, I should like to take this opportunity to welcome this decision.
I thank the Deputy for his support for this decision. With regard to the areas covered, I have a long list of these which I can make available to the Deputy. The reason I am anxious to establish the committee at an early date is that this is a new area and this committee will be different to the other Joint Labour Committees. Both the Irish Distributive and Administrative Trade Union and the Irish National Union of Vintners, Grocers and Allied Trades Assistants made submissions on the workings of the committee. It was agreed that once the committee are established a task force should be set up to draw up proposals on the employment regulations order which will lay down the minimum pay and statutory conditions of employment for the workers concerned. The procedures which the Joint Labour Committee and the Labour Court must follow when making the Employment Regulation Order are set out in the Industrial Relations Act. It is estimated from the 1988 census of services that about 28,000 workers will be covered by the Joint Labour Committee for the Retail, Grocery and Allied Trades. That will take in all the areas. The objective of the census is to cover everyone so it will cover the areas the Deputy raised.
I welcome the initiative taken up by the Minister particularly in relation to rural constituencies. In the case of one area there is a bar-grocery arrangement, where obviously one side is included and the other is not. Will the Minister let us have the list he has, so that we can see what is involved as this is not simply a grocer's but other activities take place there.
I was involved with the unions in the discussion on the submission so I am familiar with this. I will certainly circulate the list. The object is to cover all the areas but as in all these things it is easier said than done. I would welcome suggestions on the list to ensure that it covers the full 1988 census as we are only setting up the committee.