Labour Court recommends changes to Arnotts extended trading proposals

In 1998, the Labour Court recommended that Arnotts employees accept revised proposals for extended trading, with changes to Sunday and public holiday work, Christmas trading and compensation for workers who opted out of the new arrangements. Mandate had raised concerns about the lack of an opt-out clause, trading on 27 December and the effect of changed hours on staff. Arnotts said longer opening hours were needed to protect its investment, retail business and jobs. The Court recommended excluding the Stillorgan branch and delaying Christmas trading on 27 December until 2002. It also recommended that compensation for lost earnings be calculated after 12 months of the new system and paid at 1.5 times the annual loss. Sunday and public holiday trading was to be limited to workers whose contracts specified it or who had clearly agreed to it. The recommendation was dated 20 April 1998.