Labour Court recommends earlier pay increases in Braun dispute involving 340 workers

The Labour Court recommended changes to Braun (Ireland) Limited’s proposed pay and grade restructuring for about 340 workers. It recommended that the first phase take effect from 1 October 2003 instead of 1 January 2004, and the second from 1 June 2004 instead of 1 July 2004. The recommendation was dated 9 February 2004. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union said the dispute had lasted more than 10 years and the proposals included no retrospective pay. Braun said the proposed increases would bring industrial-grade pay into line with sector averages. The Court considered the proposals reasonable and recommended the revised dates as a final attempt to secure agreement, confirming the other terms.