Labour Court recommends changes to Meath County Council allowances and payments

The Labour Court recommended changes to Meath County Council allowances and payments after a further dispute arising from its earlier LCR19703 recommendation. The decision was signed on 3 June 2010. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union, the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union, and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians raised concerns about withdrawn allowances, overtime and contractor procedures. Meath County Council cited financial difficulties and changed work requirements. The Court recommended eliminating some allowances with buy-outs based on one-and-a-half times the annual loss, while retaining the Green Machine rate for current recipients and introducing a national rate for new recruits. It recommended accepting the Council’s winter gritting arrangements and did not uphold the unions’ sewer allowance claim.