Labour Court recommends process for Meath County Council allowances dispute

The Labour Court recommended a dispute-resolution process in the collective dispute between Meath County Council and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union, the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union, and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians. The recommendation was signed on 23 December 2009. The unions sought restoration of locally agreed payments, retrospection and compensation for regular rostered overtime that had ended. The Council cited a required 3% payroll saving, reduced funding and income, and an accumulated €10 million deficit. The Court considered that the Council had acted precipitately by withdrawing payments unilaterally. The Court recommended retrospection, staged buy-outs where specified duties ended, and restoration of associated payments while disputed duties were discussed. It also recommended that the Council adhere strictly to the nationally agreed 1997 procedures for engaging private contractors.