Labour Court does not recommend double standby pay claim at National Maternity Hospitl

The Labour Court did not recommend that National Maternity Hospitl concede 3 Craftsmen NMH’s claim for double standby payments for three employees. Its recommendation was dated 26 February 2020. The union argued that new entrants covering emergency on-call work should receive the same treatment as earlier colleagues, and that the alternative would require three craft workers to be on standby each week, affecting work-life balance. The hospital said roster participation was voluntary and it had to follow HSE pay policy and the Public Service Stability Agreement. The Court could not determine whether the earlier agreement applied only to three craftspersons or to all craft workers joining the roster. It noted that a 2016 local agreement provided for a single standby payment and was being applied.