Labour Court rejects union’s claim for retrospective meal-break payments

The Labour Court did not recommend retrospective meal-break payments for seven Cheshire Ireland employees in Cork Community Services. The recommendation was signed on 28 April 2017. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought payment for breaks before paid breaks were introduced on 4 April 2016. The union said staff had not been paid for those breaks, contrary to practices at other company premises. Cheshire Ireland said it faced an unsustainable financial deficit and that conceding the claim could threaten its solvency. The Court noted that paid breaks had been discussed by the sides on 16 March 2016 and that Cheshire Ireland sent the final agreed policies to the union on 31 March. Those policies did not provide for retrospective payments. The union made its claim in May, after paid breaks were already in place.