Labour Court recommends pay rises and extra leave at Bausch & Lomb

In 2016, the Labour Court recommended pay rises, additional annual leave and a supplementary sick-pay scheme in a dispute between Bausch & Lomb and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union. The recommendation was signed on 9 September 2016. The Court recommended pay rises of 2.75% from 1 August 2016 and 2.25% from 1 September 2017, with the agreement due to expire on 1 September 2018. It also recommended two extra days of annual leave each year, with the union reaffirming its commitment to a 40-hour week. A supplementary scheme would provide three additional weeks of sick pay over 24 months, alongside the existing scheme. The union had sought three extra annual-leave days and seven weeks of sick pay. Bausch & Lomb defended its proposed pay and starter rates and said maintaining the 40-hour week was important to competitiveness. The Court also set new-starter rates at 75% of the full rate for the first six months, 85% for the second six months and 95% for the third, followed by the full rate.