Labour Court upholds union appeal over Sunday pay for DART training

In 1995, the Labour Court upheld the Union’s appeal and found a worker entitled to payment for a Sunday during DART driver training. The Union had appealed a Rights Commissioner recommendation that it accept Iarnrod Eireann’s decision not to pay for the Sunday. The company had agreed to pay for a Friday but refused Sunday pay, citing safety concerns about allowing the worker to drive a diesel train while training for DART duties. The Union relied on the agreed training payment structure for drivers regularly rostered and able to work on Sundays. The Labour Court found that the worker was entitled to Sunday payment under that structure. It also supported restricting drivers to DART duties without qualification once practical training on that system had begun.