FULL RECOMMENDATION
SECTION 26(1), INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT, 1990 PARTIES : TULLAMORE CREDIT UNION - AND - 23 CLERICAL WORKERS (REPRESENTED BY SERVICES INDUSTRIAL PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL UNION) DIVISION : Chairman: Mr Geraghty Employer Member: Ms Doyle Worker Member: Ms Treacy |
1. Pay claim
BACKGROUND:
2. This dispute relates to a pay claim which was subject to a proposal from the Workplace Relations Commission.
The Union said that despite its members accepting the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) document after a ballot of its members, the Credit Union rejected it.
The Employer said that the Board agreed on the 25 April 2019 to make an interim salary payment to all staff eligible for a pay increase, backdated to 1 April 2018, on an optional basis.
- This dispute could not be resolved at local level and was the subject of a Conciliation Conference under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission. As agreement was not reached, the dispute was referred to the Labour Court on the 17 April 2019 in accordance with Section 26(1) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990.
A Labour Court hearing took place on 28 June 2019.
UNIONS ARGUMENTS:
3. 1. There are stark anomalies in the pay structure generally. The Credit Union has never had a proper pay structure, with no incremental scales.
2. To address this the Union sought an uplift for those below the rate and engaged with the WRC in February 2019 to address this.
3 In addressing the pay awards generally a mechanism is needed to address the anomalies. The Union is seeking a 2.5% increase backdated to 1/4/2018, plus an additional days’ leave. As a priority the anomalies need to be addressed.
4. The Union members accepted the outcome of the WRC discussions. The Credit Union did not.
EMPLOYER'S ARGUMENTS:
- 1. In August the Credit Union proposed the introduction of a performance related pay (PRP) scale system. This also looked to address any negative salary anomalies.
2. It was agreed to take the PRP off the table to deal with other issues but that there would be open engagement on PRP once the salaries were addressed.
3. The Board agreed on the 25 April 2019 to make an interim salary payment of 2% to all staff eligible for a pay increase backdated to 1 April 2018, on an optional basis but was not prepared to accept the outcome of the WRC discussions.
RECOMMENDATION:
Having heard the arguments put forward by both parties, the Court recommends that an increase in pay of 2.25%, in accordance with all provisions of the outcome of conciliation discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission, should be applied to the workers concerned. The Court notes that 2% increases have been applied to the pay of individual workers, so that in those cases the increases recommended are an additional 0.25% of pay.
In light of the delay that has arisen since these discussions concluded, the Court recommends further that the additional ‘once-off’ half day’s leave that was envisaged as part of those proposals should be increased, in line with the Union’s submission to the Court, to a full day’s leave, to be taken by 31 March 2020.
Signed on behalf of the Labour Court
Tom Geraghty
CR______________________
22 July, 2019Deputy Chairman
NOTE
Enquiries concerning this Recommendation should be addressed to Ciaran Roche, Court Secretary.