WRC finds no jurisdiction over worker’s collective pay claim

The WRC found it had no jurisdiction to recommend a pay increase for a worker because the claim could affect a body of workers. The recommendation, dated 24 August 2026, concerned a request for an 18% increase and retrospective pay. The worker’s union argued that pay rises were considered individually under a merit system. The employer said the claim formed part of a wider dispute involving about 19 workers. The adjudication officer found the claim had broader implications and fell under the exclusion in section 13(2) of the Industrial Relations Act 1969. The merits of the pay claim were not decided.