Labour Court recommends loss-of-earnings payments for Iarnrod Eireann workers affected by ticket-office closures

The Labour Court recommended that Iarnrod Eireann pay workers affected by Sunday and public holiday ticket-office closures for loss of earnings under the collective agreement. The recommendation was signed on 15 November 2021. The unions sought the offices' reopening, talks with affected staff, restoration of overtime and a one-off increase to the cap on loss-of-earnings payments. Iarnrod Eireann said reopening was not viable because operating costs exceeded revenue, but it would pay affected workers under the agreed formula. The Court said it would not unilaterally vary existing collective agreements in the manner requested by the union. It also said the employer should engage with the union side through agreed processes if its position on closures changed.