Labour Court recommends Kerry Group accept team-leader rate compensation proposal

The Labour Court recommended that Kerry Group Ltd accept its proposal to compensate a worker for the loss of a Team Leader rate at 1.75 times the annual loss. The recommendation, concerning 14 Laboratory Operators represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU), was signed on 9 March 2026. The claims followed the closure of the Shapes Department at the company’s Charleville site in November 2023. The union sought voluntary redundancies, a €2,000 lead-in payment for workers moved to a new shift pattern, and retention of the Team Leader rate for one worker. The affected employees were redeployed to other work on site with the same terms. The Court recommended in favour of the company’s position on voluntary redundancies and lead-in payments. It said there was no basis for redundancies while the company was hiring, and the parties’ 2017 agreement provided for shift changes with adequate notice. On the Team Leader rate, it recommended accepting the company’s compensation proposal.