Labour Court recommends John A Wood Limited’s Grade 4 to Grade 2 offer

In 1997, the Labour Court recommended that eight operators accept John A Wood Limited’s offer to regrade them from Grade 4 to Grade 2, conditional on staggered lunch and tea breaks. The recommendation was dated 23 June 1997. The Court considered staggered breaks no longer unusual in industry and found the offer reasonable in the circumstances. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union had sought the regrading without conditions, arguing that the new machines increased production and operators’ responsibilities. The Court advised the company to explain its implementation proposals to the workforce in detail.