Labour Court rejects ambulance staff shift allowance claim, restores short absence cover

The Labour Court rejected the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union’s claim for an improved shift allowance for ambulance personnel employed by the Southern Health Board at Tralee General Hospital. It recommended restoring permanent drivers’ cover of unplanned absences of up to two days, in line with the practice through November 1989. The recommendation was signed on 27 August 1990. The union argued that the shift pattern and lost overtime justified its claims. The Board said existing premiums were adequate and cited financial constraints and the use of relief drivers.