In 1997, the Labour Court recommended that a £7.39 weekly increase for construction craft workers, with a pro-rata increase for operatives, take effect from 1 September. The recommendation was dated 14 July 1997. The dispute over the increase’s start date affected about 70,000 workers.
The Irish Congress Of Trade Unions (Ictu) sought the increase from 1 April 1997, while the Construction Industry Federation (Cif) argued it should begin at the end of 1998.