Labour Court grants full incremental credit to nurse in union appeal

The Labour Court allowed the Irish Nurses Organisation’s appeal and varied a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation to give an anonymised former CNM 2 full incremental credit after she became a Public Health Nurse. The decision was signed on 31 January 2005. The worker had moved from Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin to a Public Health Nurse role. The union argued that her previous nursing experience should count towards her salary. The Health Service Executive East Coast Area said the sponsorship scheme required new Public Health Nurses to start at the bottom of the scale. A Rights Commissioner had recommended placing her at point five of the scale. Both sides appealed. The Court disallowed the employer’s appeal and found exceptional circumstances, including the worker’s experience and the unusual salary decrease on appointment. It varied the recommendation to give her full incremental credit.