Labour Court recommends renewed pay talks at Pinewood Healthcare

The Labour Court has recommended that Pinewood Healthcare and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union resume talks over a pay claim involving 200 Workers. It recommended that the employer share relevant financial information and that the union clarify the increases it is seeking. The Court made its recommendation on 22 April 2021 after a virtual hearing. The union sought a 15% increase, including a rise in the lowest-paid workers’ rate to €12.30 an hour, with increases effective from 1 April 2020. It said the Clonmel facility made €6.1 million in net profit in March 2020 and that the company paid its parent a €32.8 million dividend. Pinewood said the pandemic and Brexit had affected its performance and sought to postpone discussions until June 2021. The Court said there had been too little engagement for it to recommend a pay settlement. It noted that the employer was not claiming it could not afford an increase. If no full agreement is reached by the end of July, outstanding matters are to return to the Court for a final recommendation.