Labour Court upholds recommendation to commute four workers’ written warnings

The Labour Court upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation to commute written warnings issued to four Laois County Council workers to verbal warnings. The decision was signed on 26 September 2011. The union appealed on the workers’ behalf after they challenged an instruction to work alone at road junctions during roadworks. The Court said the reason for requiring one worker instead of two should have been explained to their safety representative, and the written instructions did not adequately address the safety concerns raised. The Court said it would not have been unreasonable for the workers to carry out the work under protest.