In 1996, the Labour Court recommended pay increases and a £200 payment for every Royal Dublin Hotel employee as part of a return to normal working after a strike. Its recommendation, dated 4 November 1996, called for normal work to resume, with rates increased by 3% from 1 July and 1% from 1 October 1996. The £200 payment was recommended for each employee because of difficulties in the dispute.
The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought higher hourly rates and reinstatement for workers dismissed before and after the strike began on 31 August 1996. The hotel said its rates matched those at similar three-star hotels and rejected reinstatement. The Court recommended referring dismissal issues to a Rights Commissioner and said it would inspect hotels before making a further recommendation on pay comparisons.