Labour Court rejects unions’ bid to move seven maintenance workers to technicians’ pay scale

The Labour Court rejected a claim to move seven maintenance craftpersons at five Institutes of Technology to the technicians’ pay scale, finding they were properly graded as maintenance craftpersons. Its recommendation was signed on 19 August 2002. The Department Of Education And Science (Council Of Directors' Institutes Of Technology) said the workers did different work requiring different qualifications and that the claim was barred by the PPF. The Manufacturing Science Finance Services Industrial Professional & Technical Union, AEEU and Technical Engineering and Electrical Union argued that the workers performed similar duties to technicians but were paid less. The Court recommended that the parties revisit the Department’s offer to explore craft promotional grades.