FULL RECOMMENDATION
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACTS, 1946 TO 1990 SECTION 26(1), INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT, 1990 PARTIES : NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY (REPRESENTED BY IRISH BUSINESS AND EMPLOYERS' CONFEDERATION) - AND - SERVICES INDUSTRIAL PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL UNION DIVISION : Chairman: Ms Jenkinson Employer Member: Ms Doyle Worker Member: Mr O'Neill |
1. Rate of Pay for Student Counsellors and Head of Counselling
BACKGROUND:
2. This case concerns a dispute between the National University Ireland Galway (NUIG) and SIPTU in relation to the appropriaterate of pay for Student Counsellors and the Head of Counselling services. The Union's position is that the grades should be aligned to comparable organisations for pay purposes.
Management rejects the claim on the basis that it has its own agreed pay structure in place following a job evaluation exercise carried out in 2004 and that a different method of pay determination applies in the organisations citied in the Union's claim.
The dispute was not resolved at local level and was the subject of a conciliation conference under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission. As agreement was not reached the matter was referred to the Labour Court on 29th October, 2008 in accordance with Section 26(1) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990. A Labour Court hearing took place on 10th March, 2010 the earliest date suitable to the parties.
UNION'S ARGUMENTS:
3 1 The Union's claim to have the pay rates of comparable institutions applied to its members is fair and reasonable in the circumstances. It is unacceptable that Student Counsellors and the Head of Counselling in NUIG services be treated less favourable than comparable employees in other organisations.
COMPANY'S ARGUMENTS:
4 1 The University has its own method of pay determination which is agreed following a previous job evaluation exercise. As the other institutions have their own methods of pay determination, it is not appropriate to apply those rates in NUIG.
RECOMMENDATION:
The issue before the Court concerned the appropriate salary scale for Student Counsellors and the Head of Counselling. As there was some dispute between the parties on whether the Head of Counselling was a party to the claim before the Court, this matter was dealt with and both sides agreed that the Court was dealing with a claim on behalf of both grades.
Student Counsellors and the Head of Counselling within NUIG sought application of pay scales with similar grades in University College Cork and the Institutes of Technology.
Management informed the Court that in 2004 following an agreed Job Evaluation exercise by the University’s Grading Committee it was determined that the appropriate pay scale for Student Counsellor was Grade 5 and the Administrative Officer Grade was the appropriate grade for the Head of Counselling.
Having considered the positions of both parties, the Court notes that different arrangement exist within the different Universities for determining the appropriate salary scale for these categories, however, in this case the Court is satisfied from the oral and written submissions that no significant change has taken place to alter the findings of the University’s Grading Committee Job Evaluation exercise.
Accordingly, the Court sees no merit in the claim.
Signed on behalf of the Labour Court
Caroline Jenkinson
29th March 2010______________________
ahDeputy Chairman
NOTE
Enquiries concerning this Recommendation should be addressed to Andrew Heavey, Court Secretary.