Labour Court recommends Hoyer Ireland pay outstanding increases and review driver standards

The Labour Court recommended that Hoyer Ireland Ltd pay outstanding increases due under the Towards 2016 agreement and jointly review driver job standards with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union and Unite. The recommendation was signed on 16 December 2008. Hoyer Ireland Ltd argued that it could not pay the increases without cost-saving measures, including changes to driver standards. The unions said workers were entitled to the agreed increases and that the company sought changes beyond normal ongoing change. The Court was not convinced that Hoyer Ireland Ltd could not pay the increases without the proposed offsets, noting that other company employees had received them. It said the company was entitled to seek a review of the standards and that the union's refusal to engage was unreasonable. The Court recommended payment from the increases' due dates and a joint review covering the contract's viability, journey times and standards in comparable employments.