Labour Court affirms two Tesco Ireland Ltd chargehands’ Christmas bonus differential

The Labour Court dismissed Tesco Ireland Ltd’s appeal over two chargehands’ Christmas bonus differential, affirming the Rights Commissioner’s recommendation that they retain the half-week bonus and receive retrospective payment for 2008. The decision was signed on 22 June 2010. Mandate argued that the chargehands’ supervisory roles entitled them to a differential over other grades, while the company said the 2006 Shared Bonus Scheme had replaced the old payment. The Court found the workers historically had a 25% bonus differential because of their supervisory roles and that the 2006 agreement did not remove it. The recommendation also said future changes should be negotiated through agreed industrial-relations machinery.