Labour Court rejects Irish Sugar back-pay and overtime claims, recommends retirement talks

The Labour Court found no basis to extend Irish Sugar PLC DDS operators’ back pay beyond 1994 and no basis to compensate two Heavy Gang workers for claimed lost overtime. The recommendation was dated 8 October 1998. It recommended talks on a proposal to let four employees retire as they reached the relevant age, with their work absorbed at no extra cost. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union brought the three claims on behalf of 17 workers. It sought back pay for 1993–1994, enhanced early retirement terms for six workers in Mallow and compensation for two workers’ reduced campaign-season overtime. On back pay, the Court noted that retrospective payments had been made from 1994 and found no specific reason to go further. For the overtime claim, the Court found no evidence that the workers had worked 84 hours during the campaign and evidence that no actual loss had occurred. It found no basis for compensation.