Labour Court recommends Cheshire Ireland restore new-entrant pay rates

The Labour Court recommended that Cheshire Ireland restore pay and premium rates for new entrants to the Department of Health Consolidated Salary Scales from 1 March 2016. It also recommended conceding the maternity top-up claim made by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (UNITE). The recommendation was dated 8 March 2016. The company said financial difficulties and competition in tendering had led it to reduce new-entrant rates in 2013. The union said the changes were made without proper industrial relations procedures. The Court noted that the rates had been introduced without consultation or agreement with the unions. It also recommended that the parties discuss the organisation’s financial position through the Workplace Relations Commission, without precondition and with full disclosure of relevant information.