Labour Court declines Tralee workers' drainage allowance claim

The Labour Court has recommended against a union claim for drainage and jetting machine allowances for two Tralee Town Council workers. Its recommendation was dated 9 October 2006. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought €70 per five-day week, or €14 per day per operative, retrospectively from 20 April 2005. It said the work involved waste and confined areas, and that comparable workers in Limerick received an allowance. The council said the workers did sewerage duties only occasionally and that the comparison involved a different group of employees. The Court said town councils generally did not pay separate allowances for this type of work.