Labour Court backs workers’ claim to uphold Gresham Hotel plate-money agreement

The Labour Court recommended on 20 December 2017 that Gresham Hotel honour its 2002 Plate Money Agreement with a group of workers represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union. The workers had referred the dispute under section 20(1) of the Industrial Relations Act 1969 and agreed to be bound by the recommendation. The Court found that management and the union had entered the agreement in good faith, and that management had not secured union agreement to proposed changes or formally withdrawn from it. The recommendation was that the agreement remain in force until replaced by agreement or through procedures between the parties, with eligible staff categories brought into line with statutory developments since 2002.