Labour Court recommends £1,000 payment for Irish Sugar craftsmen

The Labour Court recommended that Irish Sugar implement new craft-worker pay scales from 1 May 1997 in return for specified work changes. Its recommendation, signed on 30 September 1997, also said craftsmen should receive the £1,000 lump sum paid to general operatives and a further lump sum equivalent to arrears on the new scales from 16 August 1996. The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union and the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union had sought restored pay differentials and lump sums. Irish Sugar disputed that an established differential existed and offered pay increases in return for productivity changes. The Court said it could not recommend retrospection back to 1994 because no productivity changes were claimed for that period.