FULL RECOMMENDATION
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACTS, 1946 TO 1990 SECTION 26(1), INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT, 1990 PARTIES : AER LINGUS - AND - SERVICES INDUSTRIAL PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL UNION DIVISION : Chairman: Mr Duffy Employer Member: Mr Pierce Worker Member: Mr. Somers |
1. Local agenda items. (Local Savings)
BACKGROUND:
2. Labour Court hearings took place on the 3rd of November, 2000, the 6th of November, 2000 and the 7th of November, 2000.
The Court has had the benefit of detailed written submissions from the parties together with detailed elaboration on their respective positions made in side session over three days. The principal concern of the Union is to address the issue of low pay and the related difficulties stemming from the absence of opportunities for progressing within the existing grading structure for catering staff and the recognition of long service. The Company has acknowledged the existence of a problem in that regard but feel that improvements can only be made on the basis of restructuring leading to realisable cost offsetting measures.
It is noted that central negotiations have taken place with a view to improving the pay of operative grades generally, of which catering staff are part. While agreement has not been reached on this issue the dispute has been referred to the Court and an investigation is imminent.
The Court understands that a further problem exists in relation to incremental credit for temporary service. This should more appropriately be addressed in the investigation of Central Operative Pay Restructuring.
The Court believes that the measures proposed in this Recommendation in conjunction with further improvements likely to arise from an agreement on Central Operative Pay Restructuring will significantly address the underlying problems highlighted by SIPTU in processing its claim. They are commended for acceptance by both parties.
Approach of the Court.
A similar dispute to that now before the Court was investigated in the case of the Loading Section of the airline.
In LCR 16602 the Court recommended that the parties should resolve that dispute by providing once-off progression on the salary scale for all existing employees in return for defined cost savings. The Court believes that a similar approach should be adopted as a means of resolving the present dispute. On that basis and with a view to ensuring that benefits will accrue to all current employees affected by the proposed new structure the Court recommends as follows:
RECOMMENDATION:
Grade A Uplifts
All current Grade As (subject to satisfactory completion of probation where applicable) should be upgraded to Grade Bs based on the following criteria and on the understanding that they will work wherever vacancies arise in the Department.
1. It is understood that there are a number of staff currently employed in the Department who have joined the Company prior to 31st January, 1994 and who have not attained a promotion from Grade A to B. The Company should, on a once off basis, promote these employees from Grade A to Grade B, subject to suitability and on the understanding that they are available to undertake the additional duties and responsibilities appropriate to Grade B, when required.
2. The new structures, continuous production, and co-ordinated working procedures will require an additional number of Grade Bs on implementation of the new assembly and wash-up facilities and the reorganisation of the Prep Area. Accordingly those staff whose permanent entry date is between 17th April, 1996 and 31st December, 1998 should be trained in the new procedures and should be upgraded to Grade B on completion of this training.
3. All Grade As who are acting in Grade B positions in summer 2000 should be confirmed as permanent Grade B in the areas where they have been working. Where that area has sufficient numbers at Grade B for winter periods they may be allocated A or B work in their previous work area.
4. Remaining existing Grade As should be upgraded to Grade B as vacancies occur in the Department, on seniority subject to normal suitability criteria at a rate of no less than 25 per annum commencing from the end of next year.
The combined affect of the restructuring of grades recommended above will result in 125 staff currently at Grade A being upgraded to Grade B immediately, with the remaining Grade As being upgraded in accordance with 4 above.
All new Grade Bs should receive supervisory training on taking on supervisory duties. In addition all Grade As should receive an increase of £14.00 per week, including shift, within the existing scale.
Grade B
All current Grade Bs as at 1st November, 2000 should receive an increase of £25.00 (including shift) per week, within the existing scale.
Acting Grade Cs who are due to revert to Grade B should be promoted to permanent Grade Cs. In addition they should receive an increase of £25.00 (including shift) per week, within the existing scale.
Six Grade Bs should be upgraded to Grade C as production co-ordinators. This should occur within 12 months. Where that area has sufficient numbers at Grade Cs for winter periods they may be allocated B or C work in their previous work area.
Grade C and D
All current Grade Cs, Grade Ds and Senior Operative as at 1st November, 2000 should receive an increase of £25.00 (including shift)per week, within the parameters of the existing scale.
Chefs
Acting Supervisory Chefs who are due to revert to Chef should be promoted to permanent Supervisory Chefs. In addition they should receive an increase of £14.00 (including shift) per week, within the existing scale. With the exception of those two newly promoted Supervisory Chefs, current established Chefs, Supervisory Chefs and Senior Supervisory Chefs as at 1st November, 2000 should receive an increase of £25.00 (including shift) per week, within the parameters of the existing scale. The issue of pay restructuring for Chefs (including Commis Chefs) should be dealt with by the parties, with the assistance of the Labour Relations Commission, as soon as this can be arranged.
All promotions should be subject to normal criteria and staff must be willing to undertake the duties relevant to the promotional grade.
Long Service Increments
Where, in the case of long service staff the increases recommended within the scale cannot be accommodated within the remaining incremental points, long service increments should be introduced to provide increases in the appropriate amounts. This should be provided for in the Central Operative Pay restructuring.
Flexibility/Productivity Measures
In return for the improvements set out above and as an integral part of the overall package, the Court recommends that the Union agree to implement fully the flexibility/productivity measures listed in appendix 1 of this Recommendation which are necessary to meet the cost implications of the measures contained in this Recommendation.
Conclusion
This Recommendation is intended as a once-off response to the range of issues raised by the Union in its claim. It is issued on the basis that it will have no precedent value and will not be quoted or relied upon in support of any other claim in the future.
Signed on behalf of the Labour Court
Kevin Duffy
9th November, 2000______________________
GB/CCDeputy Chairman
NOTE
Enquiries concerning this Recommendation should be addressed to Gerardine Buckley, Court Secretary.
Appendix 1
Flexibility/Productivity Measures
Flexibility/Productivity Measures
Staff should accept the implementation of the frozen entrees and Breakfast Product.
The pooled garment system should be implemented for all staff.
All chefs, regardless of grade should record the temperature of foodstuffs as required.
Late Chef's work allocation can include tasks not completed on the early shift.
In order to achieve continuous production staff should accept the company's proposal for two 30 minute breaks on each eight hour shift. Breaks should be staggered in rotation in each area by individual, group, team or half team, as dictated by work schedule.
It is noted that the company plans to phase out the current use of the belt system of production and replace it with cellular or single work stations. Catering assistants should agree to work in small groups and combine meal and tray assembly where possible to reduce the current double handling of the end product.
Subject to Health and Safety requirements, Catering Assistants should bring supplies on trolleys to the production area and put completed carts and trolleys in the fridges as required.
Catering assistants should assist chefs with a range of tasks including preparing special meals, assisting with cold meal preparation, slicing cold meats including sirloin and kassler, supporting the chefs in the bakery, piping, completing starters for economy flights, using knives as required and assembling meals of all categories for customer airlines.
Dispatch agents on all shifts should dispatch all short haul aircraft. They should accept a work allocation sheet based on the daily production schedule for each shift. They should also accept a more balanced mix of early and late duties to complement production output. Dispatch agents should operate and sign a new check sheet in relation to food and bars.
Dispatch agents should fill the ice requirement for their flights and carry out their own housekeeping.
All buffets, including T/A buffets, should be completed, marked and sealed by Prep. area staff. Buffets and bars for each flight should go up to the dock area together.
The food stores, the Preparation area and the wash-up (clean equipment) should work to the daily production schedule based on the PAX-C or similar document.
Production should run to the end of the late shifts and kitchen porters should have a new late duty to allow for clean up at the end of the day. Bond stores should also have two late duties finishing at 23.30 both for normal duties and to take in bars.
Stock checks should be at the discretion of the Duty Officer and may be conducted at any time during the day. It is intended that the checking and filling of high value bars will move to a new designated area. This will involve a new system of checking and filling bars both miniature and high value. Checking and filling can be separate functions. The Grade C in the Main Bond should carry out all functions including issue of high value stock under supervision of a Grade D. It is planned that dirty bar carts and drawers will go to the main wash up for cleaning when the new washing machines are commissioned. This will allow a reduction of one cleaner in the area per day, which should be accepted.
It should be accepted that all supervisory staff in the department form part of the team they supervise and can carry out any of the tasks of the grades beneath them in the area they supervise. It should also be accepted that any tasks which can be carried out on overtime by an individual, can also be carried out during normal working time.
There should be no demarcation at grade level and staff holding a higher personal grade should carry out work of that grade as required.
Staff should agree to a range of interchangeable functions at Grade A level, e.g. assisting on truck, stores cleaning, soft drink assembly, deboxing and assisting with bar buffet dispatch on the "up and down".
It is intended that the silver room will be relocated to the stores area. The staff in the prep and silver area should report to the Duty Officer, Bar Control. The personnel employed in the bar area, prep area and general stores should be interchangeable at Grade A and B level as required. The Operative D Supervisors in the new area and the wash up should also be interchangeable as required.
Staff should co-operate with the introduction of the new dish washing facility, the new compactor layout and associated computerised monitoring systems. It is understood that the commissioning of the dishwashers will result in a reduction of two people per shift in the wash up on both the day and the night shifts and this should be accepted. Staff should also agree to the introduction of new procedures, which combine cart stripping and tray stripping, following feasibility trials. It is also understood that when the new compactors are installed there will be a reduction of one cleaner shift per day in the area. This should also be accepted.
New computerisation will be introduced in to Bond and General Stores and current systems will be expanded. All staff should co-operate with these developments, which will include the introduction of on board computers. Accurate and timely inventory management is seen as a key reequirement for stock control. To facilitate this, staff should co-operate with the introduction of new stores procedures both manual and computerised covering minimum bin quantity flagging, exact bin designation/labelling/stocking and the elimination of stock outs, for which all necessary training should be provided.
In order that shift start times reflect the demands of the business and the production schedule of the Catering Department, 05.00 starts should be accepted as required. It is understood that there is currently a requirement for one 05.00 start in the dispatch area, two 06.30 starts in the Bond area, new late duties in both these areas and on the kitchen porters roster as additional shifts. Staff in all areas should accept rostering for up to 4 ad hoc night duties per year. It should also be accepted that one designated late duty per day on the dispatch agents roster may be changed to a night duty with notice given on the previous day.
In relation to rostering the company have proposed as follows:
All rosters will be prepared by the Administration area. Request sheets will remain as current. Every effort will be made to accommodate staff requests on a fair and equitable basis. A rolling four week roster, issued every fortnight, will be produced 7 days in advance of the first applicable duty day. The first two weeks of the four week period will be fixed. The days off in the second fortnightly will be fixed but the duties will be subject to change dependent on sickness, emergency leave, ad hoc leave, resignations etc. Swops will continue to be administered by local supervisors and a reasonable level of swops will be granted.
The Court proposes that this should be accepted subject to the following modifications;
1. There should be consultations with staff representatives prior to the introduction of the new roster system.
2. No changes should be made prior to 1st January, 2001.
3. No more than one duty per person can be changed.
The Company may use the assistance of the IPC and other airline kitchen experts to smooth the introduction of the new work processes.
The Court notes and has taken into account the Union's willingness to co-operate with the catering top up van system. The Company has reservations about the viability of the service based on the proposed method of operation. If, in the future such a facility is introduced, requiring the involvement of catering staff, any validated savings should be distributed on an agreed basis.