Labour Court recommends Irish Distillers calculate pension contributions under 2011 agreement

The Labour Court recommended that Irish Distillers Ltd calculate pensionable pay for 11 craft workers under their contracts and a 2011 collective agreement, effective from 30 June 2026. It also recommended that the workers accept the company’s proposal not to seek repayment of past overpayments. The recommendation was dated 19 February 2026. The dispute concerned employer contributions to the workers’ defined contribution pension scheme. Irish Distillers Ltd said an administrative error caused overpayments ranging from €6,452 to €23,338 per person, totalling €171,615 by February 2026. It said the 2011 agreement defined pensionable pay and proposed no repayment because the error was its own. Connect argued that full-pay contributions had become established practice and sought to retain them or secure compensation. The Court noted that the 2011 agreement set the calculation method and said it generally upheld agreements unless both parties sought otherwise. It recommended that pensionable pay follow the contracts and agreement, and that the union accept the company’s non-repayment proposal.