Labour Court recommends expert review in Rehab Enterprises redundancy dispute

The Labour Court recommended an expert review of whether funding could support the existing redundancy agreement for 36 Workers at Rehab Enterprises in Limerick and Cork. It dated the recommendation 30 April 2021. SIPTU said the agreement provided statutory redundancy plus four weeks’ pay per year of service, with no ceiling on the additional payment. Rehab Enterprises proposed statutory redundancy plus two weeks’ pay per year, capped at one year’s pay, saying it could not meet the union’s claim and faced financial pressure. The Court said the existing agreement should remain in force until a successor is negotiated. It recommended that SIPTU appoint an expert, facilitated by the employer, to assess whether funding streams used for the employer’s offer could support the union’s claim. The report is to be shared with the employer, after which the parties should try to resolve the dispute or refer it back to the Court.