Labour Court recommends restoring union deductions at Premier Periclase plant

The Labour Court recommended that Premier Periclase Ltd, Rhi Magnesita, Unite the Union and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union restore union subscription deductions at source and use their 1998 collective agreement to resolve future disputes. The recommendation was dated 15 October 2020. The dispute followed a plant lay-off in June and July 2020 and a strike that began on 17 August. The unions raised concerns about sick pay, work allocation, contractors, pensions and compensation for lost earnings. The employer said it had acted under the 1998 agreement and that workers had accepted the lay-off arrangements. The Court also recommended considering a four-week extension to pension contributions, applying the agreed sick-pay scheme to workers already receiving benefits before the lay-off or strike, and jointly considering future contractor use before any lay-off. It did not recommend conceding the unions’ claim for compensation for lost earnings.