The Workplace Relations Commission found Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) Plc unlawfully deducted wages from William O’Loughlin after his working week and pay were cut during workplace negotiations. The decision, dated 13 December 2022, made no compensation award.
O’Loughlin, a DAA fitter and Unite member, was one of 69 workers whose complaints concerned reduced hours and wages between October 2020 and August 2021. His union argued the reduction breached the Payment of Wages Act 1991, his employment contract and the Airport Act 2014. DAA said it was a reasonable response to the pandemic’s effect on revenue and available work.
The WRC found there was no statutory or contractual provision for reducing his hours to 60%. It found that 80% of his wages was properly payable until March 2021, and 100% from March to August 2021. The complaint was well-founded, but the adjudication officer decided compensation would be unreasonable in the circumstances, including the financial challenges facing DAA and engagement between the company and the unions.