Labour Court raises worker’s pension payment to €17,500 on appeal

The Labour Court increased a worker’s proposed pension settlement from €7,500 to €17,500 on her appeal against Millward Brown Ireland Limited. The decision was signed on 13 April 2012. The worker believed she had returned in 1996 on her previous employment terms and remained in Pension Scheme A. The company said she had no contractual right to rejoin it. The Court found she believed her earlier terms continued and that the company should have expressly told her about the material change to her pension entitlement. The Court said restoring her to Scheme A was impractical given the passage of time and costs. It varied the Rights Commissioner’s recommendation, increasing the payment into an AVC fund to €17,500. Scheme A required a 3% contribution, compared with 5% for Scheme B. The payment was to be accepted in full and final settlement, with the other elements of the recommendation unchanged.