Labour Court sets aside public-holiday ruling in Lufthansa Technic Airmotive Ireland appeal

The Labour Court has allowed Lufthansa Technic Airmotive Ireland’s appeal and set aside a Rights Commissioner decision granting Ulick Daly an extra day of annual leave or a day’s pay for a public holiday that fell during his sick leave. The determination was signed on 9 January 2009. Daly, represented by the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union, claimed entitlement for the 17 March 2007 public holiday. The union argued that payment for the holiday was offset against his sick pay. The Court found that the company’s scheme did not reduce employees’ sick-leave entitlement when a public holiday fell during sick leave. It found no breach of section 21 of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.