Labour Court defers Eason & Son bonus decision pending review

The Labour Court recommended that Eason & Son defer deciding whether to pay its 2009 Christmas bonus until after a review of the company’s costs and finances. The recommendation was dated 19 November 2009. At the hearing, the company and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (Mandate) agreed to proceed only on the bonus issue. The union argued the bonus was an established part of workers’ pay. Eason & Son said it faced severe financial pressure, including a net loss after tax of over €21 million for the year ending 31 January 2009, and could not afford the €400,000 bonus. The Court found the bonus was not discretionary and formed part of workers’ employment conditions. It recommended that the review be completed in the first quarter of 2010, with its outcome communicated to the union, and that the bonus question then be discussed.