Martin Switzer loses allowance appeal over unpaid wages

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Labour Court allowed the Department of Justice’s appeal on 31 October 2023, setting aside a €33,346.91 award to Martin Switzer under the Payment of Wages Act.

Switzer had complained that he was underpaid for his work in the Department’s Immigration Border Management Unit from May 2018 to May 2020. The dispute concerned an allowance for out-of-hours and on-call work.

The adjudication officer had accepted Switzer’s account that an €18,023 annual allowance was promised and directed payment of €33,346.91. The Labour Court later concluded that he had not established an entitlement to an allowance at that level, so no unlawful deduction had occurred.