Labour Court recommends Irish Rail terms for ultrasonic operators

The Labour Court recommended that Irish Rail’s proposed terms for ultrasonic operators apply across the grade after a dispute with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU). The recommendation was signed on 29 January 2016. The union said two operators had agreed to increase their contracted week from 44 to 48 hours and sought payment for the extra hours worked since 2014. Irish Rail denied that an agreement had been reached among all employees covered by the proposed change. The Court noted that four of the six employees in the grade wanted the company’s terms. It recommended discussions between Irish Rail and SIPTU to find a practical way to address the two employees who wanted to keep their existing conditions. The company said that if the union’s account of the hours was correct, the workers would be paid for the hours they actually worked.