Labour Court recommends Penn Chemicals workers accept pay offer

In 1988, the Labour Court recommended that process operators and maintenance craftsmen at Penn Chemicals B.V. accept the company’s offer under the Programme for National Recovery. It would not recommend increases above the programme’s terms. The recommendation was signed on 7 July 1988. The Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, the Amalgamated Engineering Union, the National Engineering and Electrical Trade Union and the Electrical Trades Union sought a pay increase for 48 process operators and 18 maintenance craftsmen. They said other plant workers had received increases of 7% to 8%. Penn Chemicals B.V. said the programme applied and barred further cost-increasing claims. The Court recommended that workers offered the company’s terms accept them, and that the parties meet to reconcile their differing approaches to wage adjustments.