Labour Court clarifies six-month suspension stage in Kerry agreement

The Labour Court recommended that Kerry Ingredients (Ireland) Limited Trading As Kerry Ingredients & Flavours return an employee to the final written warning stage after a six-month suspension, provided there had been no further breach. The recommendation was signed on 31 October 2012. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union argued that each disciplinary stage should remain active for six months and that the company’s approach kept a final warning active for 12 months in total. The company said the agreement had operated for more than 40 years without its interpretation being challenged. The Court said the agreement provided for a six-month suspension and a return to the previous stage if there were no further breaches.