Labour Court recommends talks on Turf Club cost reductions

The Labour Court recommended that The Turf Club and Mandate agree how to allocate and distribute cost reductions in a recommendation dated 20 September 2010. The Turf Club said immediate payroll savings were critical and Mandate’s proposals were inadequate. Mandate sought proportionate cuts across the budget and objected to officials working weekends and Saturday evenings without extra pay. Both sides agreed the organisation’s financial viability was compromised and changes to pay and conditions were necessary. The Court recommended that the financial advisers for both sides meet to agree a proportionate allocation, followed by talks between management and Mandate on distributing the reductions among affected staff. It said the process should be completed within two weeks and the savings secured in that financial year.