Labour Court does not recommend union’s retrospective allowances claim

The Labour Court did not recommend concession of the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union’s claim for retrospective allowances from South Dublin County Council. The recommendation was signed on 15 August 2011. The union sought retrospective payment of concrete and ganger sheet allowances during annual leave for staff in the Council’s Roads Section. It said the Council had agreed to the retrospection, but the Council said it had only agreed to consider the claim through a working group that was never established. The Court found no formal agreement had been concluded under the Council’s usual procedures, which involved recording industrial relations agreements in writing. It therefore could not recommend conceding the union’s claim.