Labour Court upholds shift-premium recommendation for St Joseph’s Hospital staff

The Labour Court upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation on a shift-premium claim by domestic and attendant staff at St. Joseph's Hospital, Stranolar, in a decision signed on 19 December 1988. The Irish Transport And General Workers' Union had appealed for about 27 staff who sometimes covered late duties. The Union sought a time-and-one-sixth allowance for full-time staff moved from their normal roster to cover supper duties. It argued the changed hours disrupted their work and pointed to male attendants receiving shift payments. The North Western Health Board said the assignments were very occasional and did not meet its criteria for a shift premium. The Labour Court found no grounds to alter the recommendation, which called for the parties to review the position after a year while tracking how often the late work occurred.