S.I. No. 184/1974:

EMPLOYMENT REGULATION ORDER (LAW CLERKS JOINT LABOUR COMMITTEE), 1974.

EMPLOYMENT REGULATION ORDER (LAW CLERKS JOINT LABOUR COMMITTEE), 1974.

WHEREAS the Labour Court (hereinafter called "the Court") pursuant to the provisions of Section 43 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1946 , (hereinafter called "the Act") made an Employment Regulation Order dated the 14th February, 1973 ( S.I. No. 40 of 1973 ) (hereinafter called "the said Order") fixing the statutory minimum remuneration and regulating the statutory conditions of employment of workers in relation to whom the Law Clerks Joint Labour Committee (hereinafter called "the Committee") operates;

AND WHEREAS the Committee has submitted to the Court a proposal for revoking the said Order;

AND WHEREAS the Committee has also submitted to the Court the proposals set out in the Schedule hereto for fixing the statutory minimum rates of remuneration and regulating the statutory conditions of employment of workers in relation to whom the Committee operates;

AND WHEREAS the provisions of Section 43 of the Act have been complied with;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Court, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Section 43 of the Act hereby orders as follows:--

(1) This Order may be cited as Employment Regulation Order (Law Clerks Joint Labour Committee), 1974.

(2) Effect is hereby given to the proposals set out in the Schedule hereto.

(3) The provisions set out in the Schedule hereto shall have effect as from the 21st June 1974 and as from that date the said Order shall be revoked.

SCHEDULE

PART I

SECTION I.--Minimum Rates of Remuneration for Managing Clerks.

A MANAGING CLERK is a legal assistant (not being a Solicitor) of not less than 10 years' experience who is fully experienced in all the branches of a Solicitor's work conducted in the Office in which he is employed and who is able to, and habitually does, conduct legal cases, including the interviewing of clients, in that Office without constant supervision.

SECTION II.--Minimum Rates of Remuneration for Conveyancing Clerks.

A CONVEYANCING CLERK is a person who is wholly or mainly engaged in title work in all its branches, including the preparing of contracts, investigation of title, drawing and completion of conveyances, mortgages and other deeds.

SECTION III.--Minimum Rates of Remuneration for Costs Clerks.

A Costs Clerk is a person who is wholly or mainly engaged in the drawing and taxation of his employers' costs, and who is not remunerated on a commission basis by his employer.

SECTION IV.--Minimum Rates of Remuneration for General Law Clerks (Male) 17 Years of age and over.

A General Law Clerk (Male) is a male person, other than a Managing Clerk, a Conveyancing Clerk, a Costs Clerk, a Shorthand-Typist, or a Typist, but who may be a Court Clerk or a Bookkeeper, and who is wholly or mainly engaged on clerical duties.

SECTION V--Minimum Rates of Remuneration for General Law Clerks (Females) 17 Years of Age and Over.

A General Law Clerk (Female) is a female person other than a Managing Clerk, a Conveyancing Clerk, a Costs Clerk, a Shorthand Typist, a Typist or a Book-keeper as defined elsewhere in this Part, but who may be a Court Clerk and who is wholly or mainly engaged on, and does perform the clerical duties which a General Law Clerk (Male) normally performs.

SECTION VI--Minimum Rates of Remuneration for Shorthand Typists, Typists and Book-Keepers (Female).

A Shorthand Typist, a Typist or a Book-Keeper (Female) is a Female person who is wholly or mainly employed on one or more of the following duties, viz. shorthand, typing, book-keeping, copying, scrivenery, filing, post work and telephone operation.

Cost-of-Living "Threshold" Provision. If during the period mid-November, 1973 to mid-November, 1974 the Consumer Price Index rises by more than 10% the basic pay of employees shall be increased by 1% for every 1% rise in the Index over that 10%--the increase is payable from the 17th March, 1975.

SECTION VI (a)--Assessment of Service.

A Shorthand Typist, Typist or Book-Keeper (Female) who is upgraded to be a General Law Clerk (Female) shall for one year be remunerated on the Section VI scale at the end of which she shall be placed at the next higher salary point on the scale for General Law Clerks (Female).

SECTION VII--Overtime Rates.

The Minimum hourly rates for all hours of overtime shall be as follows:--

One-and-a-half times the hourly rates as defined in Section II, Part II below i.e., time-and-a-half.

PART II.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT.

The following conditions of employment shall apply to all workers referred to in Part I above.

SECTION I--Normal Working Week.

The normal working week shall not exceed 38 hours. Where the normal working hours prescribed by an employer are 38 or less in any week of not less than five working days, a worker who works the normal working hours so prescribed shall be entitled to the appropriate weekly wage set out in Part I.

SECTION II--The Hourly Rate.

For full-time workers or for part-time workers the hourly rate shall be the appropriate weekly wage divided by 38.

SECTION III--Meal Intervals.

Meal intervals shall not be reckoned as time worked.

SECTION IV--Overtime.

All hours worked in excess of 38 in any week shall be overtime and shall be paid for at overtime rates as specified in Section VII of Part 1 of this Order.

SECTION V--Sundays and Public Holidays.

All hours worked on a Sunday or on a statutory Public Holiday shall be paid for at twice the hourly rate as defined in Section II above, i.e. at Double Time.

SECTION VI--Annual Holidays.

In addition to the annual leave entitlements under the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1961 , workers who qualify for full holidays shall be granted an extra week's holidays--the extra leave to be taken at a time arranged between workers and employers.

PART III.

WORKERS IN RELATION TO WHOM THE COMMITTEE OPERATES.

Clerical Workers and Messengers, whether whole time or part-time employed by Solicitors in connection with their professional work and by bodies corporate in their law departments under the direction of their law agents, including managing clerks, general law clerks, court clerks, costs clerks, typists, stenographers and book-keepers, but excluding Solicitors' Apprentices and Solicitors.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Labour Court this 20th Day of

June, 1974.

(Signed) D. Mac DIARMADA.

A person authorised under Section 18 of the Industrial

Relations Act, 1946, to authenticate the Seal of the

Court.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

This Instrument fixes new statutory minimum rates of pay and regulates statutory conditions of employment as from the 21st June 1974, for certain workers employed in Solicitors' Offices. It is made by the Labour Court on the recommendation of the Law Clerks Joint Labour Committee.