Labour Court reduces lost-overtime recommendation to £2,000 on Iarnrod Eireann appeal

The Labour Court varied a Rights Commissioner recommendation over a station master’s lost overtime, recommending an ex-gratia payment of £2,000 instead of £2,786. The decision was signed on 26 January 1996. Iarnrod Eireann appealed the recommendation. The claim concerned a worker at Claremorris Station who lost overtime opportunities after locomotive driver duties were transferred to Ballina. The company argued that overtime was not guaranteed and that no agreement required compensation in these circumstances. The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association argued the move caused significant earnings loss and qualified for compensation under an agreed formula. The Court amended the recommendation to £2,000, upheld it to that extent and rejected the appeal to the same extent.