Ivor Callely
Ceist:75 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Labour the number of man-days lost in industrial disputes in 1990 compared with 1985; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Industrial Disputes.
The Central Statistics Office are the official source for statistics on industrial disputes. Their figure for days lost through industrial disputes for 1985 was 417,726. The official figures for 1990 are not yet available but my Department estimate that there were 203,700 days lost in 1990.
The figure for 1990 and indeed for the previous years covering the period of the PNR compare very favourably with that for 1985. The PNR and their associated pay agreements have resulted in a period of remarkable industrial relations peace. Disputes over pay were at an all-time low during the period of the programme and it is hoped that this trend will continue under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. The figures for the first quarter of 1991 show a continuation of the positive trend.