Labour Court recommends Allergan re-offer settlement to five operatives

The Labour Court recommended that Allergan Pharmaceuticals re-offer a settlement proposal to the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union for five Grade 1 operatives seeking promotion to Grade 4. The Court dated its recommendation 26 October 1999. The proposal would pay the difference between Grade 1 and Grade 2 rates for 15 hours a week, and the Grade 2 differential when the workers covered Set-Up Operator absences. The Court said the claim arose from a 1994 agreement and related only to the five claimants. The recommendation relied on the union's assertion that it would not set a precedent for other groups at the company. The union argued that the workers had trained to Grade 4 and should receive the corresponding rate. Allergan said it did not need more Grade 4 operators and warned that granting the claim could lead to further claims.