Labour Court recommends phased P.E.S.P. pay increases at Waterville Mink Farm

The Labour Court recommended that Waterville Mink Farm Limited pay the first phase of the P.E.S.P. from the date the company first offered it, with phase two from 1 April 1994 and the final phase from 1 October 1994. The parties were to discuss a fair solution on retrospection. The recommendation was signed on 30 June 1993. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union had sought implementation of the 39-hour week and phased pay increases, with retrospective payment. The company cited five years of losses and said it could not afford retrospection. The Court recognised the financial constraints and risk to jobs, while finding workers had a reasonable expectation of benefiting from the programme’s pay increases.