Labour Court backs Bausch & Lomb disciplinary procedure interpretation

The Labour Court supported Bausch & Lomb’s interpretation of its disciplinary procedure in a dispute with the Technical, Engineering And Electrical Union. It said the written procedure did not prevent the company from imposing a sanction after internal appeals but before a third-party investigation was complete. The dispute followed a proposed one-week unpaid suspension of a senior shop steward. The union argued the suspension should wait until procedures, including third-party intervention, were exhausted. The Court did not accept that the suspension constituted a lock-out. Its recommendation was signed on 16 April 2007.