The Labour Court recommended that Kostal Ireland GmbH accept a revised offer to resolve a dispute with 36 Technicians over scheduled maintenance shifts. The recommendation, dated 21 February 2024, provides for a 27-hour bank in its first year, with the arrangements taking effect from 1 July 2024.
The technicians, represented by SIPTU, sought flexibility to arrive late, leave early or miss a scheduled shift. Kostal Ireland GmbH, represented by IBEC, said planned maintenance needed to be scheduled and that its absence policy should apply as it did to other rostered shifts.
The Court noted that the technicians were paid for 39 hours a week and worked 36, leaving 12 hours per four-week period to be worked on planned maintenance. It considered advance rostering and applying the general absence policy reasonable. The employer's offer also allows supervisors to accommodate individual requests where maintenance demands permit.