The Labour Court upheld a finding that Power Supermarkets Limited, trading as Quinnsworth, discriminated against female employees by initially selecting men for temporary night-shift merchandising work. It also upheld Mandate’s appeal to include Martina Kirwan among those receiving £100 compensation. The determination was dated 10 July 1997.
Mandate brought the claim for female employees, saying the company had offered the night work to four men without properly opening the opportunity to women. The company said it later opened the work to interested staff after a union meeting and that one woman was needed for daytime duties. The Equality Officer had found discrimination and recommended £100 for 14 claimants, leaving Kirwan out because of a settlement document. The Labour Court rejected the company’s appeal, finding management had initially limited selection to men. It ruled the document concerned Kirwan’s employment termination and did not cover her earlier equality claim, so she was also entitled to £100.