Labour Court recommends 1% lump sum based on basic pay at Unifi Tye

The Labour Court recommended that Unifi Tye Limited calculate workers’ one-off 1% payment using their basic weekly rate on 1 April 2002, annualised over 52 weeks. Shift premiums, overtime and other supplements should be excluded. The recommendation was signed on 26 February 2003. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought a calculation that included shift premium and opposed the company’s proposal to seek savings in return for the payment. The company said the payment applied to basic pay and sought an agreement to phase out higher pay protection for employees transferred to lower grades. The Court also recommended that payment not be conditional on the union accepting the proposed concession, as its cost to employees would outweigh the benefit of the 1% increase.