Labour Court recommends changes to Bord Gais Eireann agreement package

In 1999, the Labour Court recommended changes to the proposed Response 2000 agreement between Bord Gais Eireann (BGE) and six unions: Services Industrial Professional Technical Union; Manufacturing, Science, Finance Automobile, General Engineering and Mechanical Operatives Union; Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union; Marine, Port and General Workers' Union; Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union; and Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union. The negotiations covered pay, work practices, contracting, sick leave, allowances, annual leave, pensions and other conditions. The recommendations were conditional on full acceptance of the package as a whole. In a recommendation signed on 3 December 1999, the Court accepted the HAY system for restructuring pay and recommended an appeals committee be set up 18 months after the new scales were implemented. It rejected claims for an across-the-board or special-group pay increase and for extending permanent health insurance to other employees. The Court also recommended discussions on a staff rate for domestic gas.