Labour Court rejects Woodprint Craft worker’s claim for national wage increases

In 2004, the Labour Court rejected a Woodprint Craft Limited worker’s claim for pay increases under national wage agreements. The recommendation was dated 21 December 2004. The worker said increases due between May 2000 and May 2001 had not been paid, estimating his loss at about €10,000. Woodprint Craft Limited said directors’ remuneration included base pay, dividends, profit sharing and expenses, and that his base pay had risen 24% since 1999. The Court found that the worker’s remuneration package included elements beyond national wage increases and that their total value far exceeded any loss from the omitted increases. It rejected the claim as unsustainable, while saying the company should have clarified its position sooner.