In 1998, the Labour Court recommended a 6% allowance for a domestic worker at the Royal Victoria Eye And Ear Hospital who also carried out stores duties. The allowance was to take effect from 1 January 1998. The recommendation was dated 20 April 1998.
Services Industrial Professional Technical Union had sought an 8% differential, saying the worker spent about 40% of her time on stores work. The hospital said the higher allowance was for porters permanently assigned to stores. The Court found that the worker’s additional duties were more onerous than those appropriate to her grade, but that she did not perform them full time. It therefore recommended a lower allowance than the union had sought.