Labour Court does not recommend conceding union’s overtime claim at HSE West

In 2011, the Labour Court did not recommend conceding the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union’s claim over overtime access for two workers at HSE West. The recommendation was signed on 17 October. The union said the workers were entitled to nine hours of overtime each week under a collective agreement. HSE West said the agreement provided an average of nine hours over a six-week roster, as it had been applied from the outset. The Court found that the agreement’s wording supported the union’s interpretation, but noted that it had consistently been operated as HSE West argued and had since expired. It said it could see no practical redress for the workers after the passage of time and found insufficient basis to recommend conceding the claim.