In 1999, the Labour Court upheld Ballet International’s appeal and rejected an Equality Officer’s recommendation that Ms Brenda Conroy receive equal pay with a male comparator. Its determination was dated 8 December 1999.
Conroy was a Purchasing Clerk; the comparator was an Assistant Purchasing Manager. After hearing submissions and inspecting both jobs, the Court found they were neither like work nor work of equal value under the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974.
The Court found greater skill, responsibility and mental effort in the comparator’s role, including more complex decisions and shade-matching work. As it found no like work or work of equal value, it did not consider the company’s other appeal ground.