Tag Archives: Labour Court

Carrier refuses to attend labour court and defends package available to laid off staff AER Lingus has refused to attend a Labour Court hearing on the closure of its Shannon cabin crew base. The matter was referred to the Labour Court by trade union Fórsa, after the two sides failed to reach agreement on staff transfers and redundancy terms. Last week management wrote to the Shannon cabin crew, telling them to transfer to Dublin or Cork, or alternatively opt for redundancy. The airline also wrote to the Labour Court and said that there was no point in it engaging, as it wouldn’t be able to offer anything further. “The purpose of this letter is to inform you that Aer Lingus is not in a position to participate in the proposed hearing on these matters. The reason that we cannot participate is that given the unprecedented challenges facing the company at this time, we are not in a position to accept …

THE Shannon Group has stated that it will restore a unilateral 20% pay cut imposed on its workforce once airport passenger numbers reach one million. However, any pay restoration may not be until the second half of 2022 before Shannon Airport will reach the one million target. This follows the Shannon Group telling the Labour Court that it currently estimates that passenger numbers for 2021 for Shannon Airport will be well short of one million and will reach 600,000 due to the Covid-19 pandemic impact. At the court, the Shannon Group revealed that passenger numbers collapsed last year to 360,000 from 1.72m in 2019. Unions representing 160 workers at all grades and including Airport Police and firefighters have rejected the offer by the Shannon Group to restore the 20percent pay-cut once passenger numbers top one million. At the Labour Court, unions were seeking restoration of the 20 percent pay-cut imposed last year and a plan to return the monies deducted since …

With industrial action by gardaí likely to go ahead on Friday and possibly on other dates in November, Shannon Airport will remain open and its security will not be compromised. Chief Superintendent John Kerin told The Clare Champion he expects that should the industrial action go ahead in its fullest form on Friday, Shannon Airport will still operate. “We have provisional plans made in the event that it does go ahead. We are confident that no flights will be impacted upon in Shannon,” he stressed. The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) are set to withdraw their labour on this Friday and again on November 11, 18 and 25.  The GRA said it will ballot its members on any non-binding recommendations of the Labour Court in relation to the pay dispute while the AGSI is set to attend a Labour Court hearing today. Gardaí have a role in immigration control at Shannon, while …

INDUSTRIAL action due to take place at Element Six this week, having been earlier adjourned, has now been postponed for a second time. SIPTU members have been at loggerheads with management for some time over a variety of issues, most particularly a failure by the company to implement a Labour Court recommendation. Representatives of the union told The Clare Champio that their members were under very high levels of stress, with many of them having to take medication to cope with the prevailing situation. A meeting between management and SIPTU took place last Friday, which was chaired by Brian McGinn of the Labour Relations Commission. It is understood that some progress was made at this meeting, which led to the decision to postpone the strike action again. A document is set to be put to the union shortly, with members due to ballot on it thereafter. However, it is understood that there are some concerns already emerging that attempts may …

SIPTU workers at Element Six have been suffering mental health issues, as a result of stress and pressure in the workplace, it has been claimed. This comes in advance of a planned 24-hour work stoppage on September 21. One shop steward told The Clare Champion that union members have spoken to him about having been prescribed medication to deal with workplace-related anxiety and depression. He said people have also been ringing him to say they are unable to go to work, such is their level of distress. “It’s very bad, to the point that people took a stand for industrial action; they felt they had no other option. The way that people are being treated down there, I think people have had enough. Numerous people have been out, due to stress; some of them have just conceded and taken early retirement. I think most of them would have rather worked until closer to 65, but they are just conceding and …

SIPTU members in Element Six in Shannon have served management with notice of a 24-hour work stoppage which will begin on Wednesday, September 21 at 6.30am. SIPTU Organiser, Ray Mitchell, said: “Last month, our members voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action in response to the failure of management to fully implement a Labour Court recommendation in relation to changes of work practices and shift patterns at the industrial diamond manufacturing plant. “Since then, there has been no attempt by management to engage with our members to discuss the issues that have resulted in this dispute. SIPTU representatives remain available to meet with management to engage in serious negotiations to find a solution to the outstanding issues.” He added: “If management was to engage in negotiations with our members that were really aimed at finding a resolution to the issues in dispute, the upcoming action could yet be averted. It is now up to management to show its willingness to focus …

Normal work has resumed at the Bunratty Roadstone quarry plant this week following settlement of an official strike at all of the company’s facilities. Roadstone Wood and SIPTU representatives met at the Labour Court on Thursday last in an attempt to reach agreement for the resumption of production at the plants nationwide. Proposed cost-cutting measure by the company were central to the dispute. It is understood that the overall vote for a return to work was 60% to 40% in favour, following a slight improvement in the company’s wage restructuring proposal. General operatives and truck drivers had claimed they would lose almost €20,000 in their wages over the next five years if a new cost-cutting plan is introduced against the workers’ wishes. Roadstone are celebrating their 65th anniversary and this was only the second industrial action of note within that period.    

Roadstone Wood and SIPTU representatives are meeting  at the Labour Court this Thursday in an attempt to reach agreement for the resumption of production at the Bunratty quarry. Work there has been suspended for three weeks as part of a nationwide dispute. Proposed cost-cutting measure by the company are central to the dispute. Ironically, Roadstone are celebrating their 65th anniversary this week and this is only the second industrial action of note within that period. If both parties reach a decision, it is expected that a recommendation may be put to workers at the weekend, which could go for ballot early next week. General operatives and truck drivers have been protesting outside the Bunratty plant with official SIPTU placards for the past three weeks. According to SIPTU, workers will lose almost €20,000 in their wages over the next five years if a new cost-cutting plan is introduced against the workers’ wishes. SIPTU shop steward, Jim Lynch, explained a decision was taken years ago …