Crane driver awarded €26,000 after unfair dismissal finding

The Workplace Relations Commission found that Myles Byrne was unfairly dismissed by K & J Townmore Ltd. and awarded him €26,000, equal to six months’ pay. The decision was dated 11 January 2024. Byrne, a crane driver, said he was dismissed without notice after raising concerns about unpaid hours and an underpaid payslip. The company said it dismissed him for clocking in and out away from the site, which it considered gross misconduct. The WRC noted that there had been no written disciplinary process, hearing or appeal. It found Byrne had no opportunity to respond to the concerns about his clocking and that the dismissal fell short of basic fair procedures. Byrne said he found work again within three weeks on the same wages.