Labour Court recommends legacy pay terms for 12 Britvic Ireland workers

The Labour Court recommended that Britvic Ireland align 12 workers’ pay with legacy agreements, with the adjustment applying from the end of their lay-off. The recommendation was signed on 16 January 2013. The Court found the workers’ employment continued through their lay-off, so they could not reasonably be considered new starters and remained entitled to pay under the legacy agreements. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought restoration of their previous terms with retrospection, saying the company had imposed changes unilaterally. Britvic Ireland said falling revenues and margins, and higher labour costs, required revised rates to protect the business.