Labour Court upholds €4,000 recommendation in Waterways Ireland appeal

The Labour Court upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation that Waterways Ireland pay €4,000 to a driver in full and final settlement of a claim for retrospective meal allowance. The Court’s decision was signed on 15 October 2015, and the union’s appeal failed. The worker, represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union, sought payment back to the start of his employment in August 2006. The union argued for full retrospection; Waterways Ireland said the worker had received the appropriate eating-on-site allowance and opposed extending payment to before the claim was made. The Rights Commissioner’s recommendation was that the compensation reflected the unique circumstances of the case.