Labour Court rejects union claim to change OPW holiday premiums

The Labour Court did not recommend concession of the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union's claim for a change to public-holiday premium payments for constables working 24-hour shifts for the Office of Public Works. It said the existing arrangements were long-standing and found no sustainable case for changing them at that time. The union said the system created an anomaly and proposed premium pay for the entire shift when a shift began on a public holiday. The Office of Public Works argued that this would extend premium payments beyond the holiday itself. The recommendation was signed on 27 August 2010.