The Labour Court recommended that employees at Baxter Healthcare Sa accept proposals addressing pension and sick pay, regrading and a partnership forum. The recommendation, dated 3 December 1999, covered about 850 workers at the company’s Castlebar and Swinford plants.
The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union had raised claims including improvements to pension and sick pay, and additional pay for utility and quality-control duties at Swinford. The company said it had negotiated a comprehensive package and argued that extra pay differentials could disrupt its flat-pay structure. The Court recommended future discussions about rewarding employees who take on significant extra duties, including possible gainsharing and partnership arrangements.