Labour Court rejects Trinity College appeal over plumber’s dismissal

The Labour Court rejected Trinity College’s appeal and upheld a recommendation to re-engage a plumber dismissed after one incident. The decision was dated 7 September 1999. The College said the worker had been absent without permission during probation and had previously been warned about his conduct. The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union said he was about an hour late, apologised and had received no warning about that incident. The Rights Commissioner found the dismissal unfair and recommended re-engagement with conditions, including an extended probation period. The Labour Court found that the College had not dismissed him following an assessment under the probation clause and that immediate dismissal over one incident was unwarranted.