WRC rejects Máire Aherne’s employee-representative penalisation complaint

The WRC found Máire Aherne’s complaint against the National Council For Special Education not well founded. The decision was dated 25 January 2022. Aherne said she had been penalised for carrying out employee-representative functions and for raising a Covid-19 safety concern. The adjudication officer found no evidence that the employer had initiated the consultation process or that at least 10 per cent of employees had requested it in writing. The officer concluded Aherne had not been appointed as an employee representative under the Act and could not be penalised in that capacity. The officer also found that the Covid-19 protocol’s lead worker representative role was outside the Act’s definition.