Labour Court upholds loss-of-earnings recommendation in Monaghan Mushrooms dispute

The Labour Court rejected the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union’s appeal and upheld a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation in a loss-of-earnings dispute with Monaghan Mushrooms Limited. The decision was dated 23 July 1996. The union sought nine weeks’ lost pay for a worker whom the company had kept from work from 15 May to 18 July 1995, despite a return-to-work certificate from his own doctor. The Rights Commissioner recommended reimbursement for the period from 3 July to 18 July. The company said it could require a fitness assessment under its agreement and established practice; the Labour Court found the recommendation reasonable in the circumstances.