The Labour Court recommended that Garrett Engine Roofing Systems & Honeywell Engines & Systems and the Technical, Engineering And Electrical Union discuss revising their agreement so lay-offs or redundancies could be handled separately at each plant. The recommendation was dated 31 May 2002.
The company sought separate agreements and seniority arrangements for the two plants. Workers rejected the proposal by a five-to-one majority and wanted to retain seniority across both plants.
The Court cited significant differences between the businesses and recommended negotiations aimed at protecting overall employment.