Labour Court recommends Group 4 Falk Security defer pay claim and bring forward pension scheme

The Labour Court recommended that Group 4 Falk Security and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union defer a pay claim and bring forward a pension scheme, in a recommendation dated 4 November 2003. The union said Athlone-based claimants earned less than colleagues doing similar work in other centres. The company said it could not afford increases above industry rates without risking jobs. The Court said the pay claim had merit but the company could not absorb the additional costs without endangering employment. It recommended that the union not pursue the claim at that time and that the parties review it at the end of 2004. It also recommended bringing forward the pension scheme to 1 June 2004 and considering sick pay in current industry discussions.