Labour Court recommends enhanced redundancy terms for five coal depot workers

The Labour Court recommended enhanced redundancy terms for five workers facing job losses at the Bond Road Coal Depot, in a recommendation signed on 19 July 2017. It also recommended that the union accept Bord Na Mona Fuels Ltd’s €1,250 offer in response to its 2017 pay claim. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union sought a 3.5% cost-of-living pay increase and improved redundancy terms. Bord Na Mona Fuels Ltd said uncertainty in the coal sector meant it could not sustain a percentage increase at that time. The Court recommended statutory redundancy terms plus three weeks’ pay per year of service, service payments of €1,000 to €3,000 and an ex-gratia severance cap of 78 weeks. If improved terms were agreed for a larger location, it recommended applying them to the five workers. It also called for further talks on a basic pay increase.