Labour Court upholds £3,000 recommendation in Guiney pay dispute

In 1993, the Labour Court upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation that Guiney And Company Limited pay a worker £3,000 and transfer her to the sales assistant rate. The Court’s decision was dated 24 November 1993. The worker had been a buyer in the glove and accessories department, which closed in 1992. Her pay fell by about £37 a week when she moved to sales assistant. The Irish Distributive And Administrative Trade Union appealed on her behalf, saying the demotion followed an equal pay claim and seeking compensation for lost earnings, pension rights and status. The company said it had kept paying her buyer’s rate while procedures continued. The Labour Court considered the recommendation appropriate because the company had continued to pay the buyer’s rate pending the conclusion of procedures, and said it should stand.