Labour Court backs union interpretation of sleep-in allowance

The Labour Court recommended accepting the Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union’s interpretation of a sleep-in allowance circular in a dispute with Brothers of Charity, Waterford. The recommendation was signed on 26 March 2010. The circular referred to an eight-hour sleep-in period. The Court found that the employer had unilaterally added the words “or more”, substantially changing the agreed wording. It recommended discussions to maintain flexibility for service needs, but did not recommend conceding the union’s claim for retrospective payments.