Labour Court recommends 39-hour week at GEHE Ireland

The Labour Court recommended a 39-hour normal working week without loss of earnings at Gehe Ireland Limited, to be implemented by 1 September 2003. Its recommendation was dated 30 June 2003. Mandate sought changes to pay, hours, sick pay, pensions, staff facilities, bonuses, promotion procedures and union representation and recognition. Gehe Ireland Limited said it was standardising employment terms after acquisitions and could not implement every change immediately. The Court endorsed annual pay reviews, a planned pension scheme and the existing sick-pay scheme. It recommended an incremental pay scale with a minimum rate of €7.14, efforts to provide basic canteen facilities, a grievance and disciplinary procedure allowing union representation in individual cases, and recognition of Mandate for employees it had in membership. It noted that promotion issues had been resolved.