The Labour Court recommended that Iarnrod Eireann and Manufacturing Science Finance and Transport Salaried Staff Association negotiate a wage structure for engineers within four months. The recommendation was signed on 18 December 1995.
The dispute involved about 60 to 70 engineers. The unions said most received no increase in a restructuring, while a small number of senior engineers received increases of 5% to 12.5%. They sought pay scales for engineers and were willing to have an agreed independent assessor recommend appropriate rates.
Iarnrod Eireann argued that the claim conflicted with public-service pay terms and said it could not afford further payroll costs. The Court said maintaining the existing salary limit would undermine its earlier recommendation on recognition of engineers. It recommended negotiations through current productivity discussions, with an agreed assessor to recommend pay rates if the parties did not reach agreement within four months.