Labour Court recommends changes to Ashford Castle grievance and trainee procedures

The Labour Court recommended changes to Ashford Castle’s grievance representation and trainee progression arrangements in a dispute with Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU), in a decision dated 22 January 2007. The Court recommended that, after the initial informal stage, the union and affected employee decide the mode and level of representation. It also recommended that the company facilitate shop steward training and review its representation procedures after training. The Court recommended accepting the company’s trainee pay and progression system with changes. Unresolved disputes over progression should go through the grievance procedure and then to a Rights Commissioner. Qualified employees should receive the full rate for their occupational category. The supervisors’ pay claim was withdrawn. The Court rejected the company’s objection that the union had engaged in industrial action and found it had jurisdiction to investigate the dispute.