Labour Court recommends £1,100 payment for shift changes at G.E. Superabrasives

In 1996, the Labour Court recommended that G.E. Superabrasives (Ireland) Limited increase its proposed payment for loss of shift from £200 to £1,100 for affected workers. The recommendation, signed on 14 October 1996, followed a dispute with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union over redundancy terms, compensation for lost shift and shift cover during a restructuring involving 21 planned redundancies. The Court found no grounds to recommend a change to the redundancy package. It recommended applying the existing company agreement on shift loss, with the increased payment, and noted management's agreement to accept volunteers before selecting workers for the shift change. The union said moving from shift work could cut gross pay by up to 25%, with workers earning about £26,000 moving to £17,000. The Court recommended reviewing shift-cover arrangements after the transition; current arrangements should continue in the meantime, with management making every effort to minimise use of reserve hours.