The Labour Court overturned an adjudication officer’s decision on Henry Campbell’s appeal, finding that Greyhound Racing Ireland must pay him the difference between his wages and double time for hours worked during Galway Race Week 2020. The determination was signed on 10 June 2022.
Campbell, a full-time groundsman at Galway Greyhound Stadium, said double time had been paid every year and had become part of his contractual entitlement. The company argued the payment was a discretionary bonus linked to extra events and revenue. In 2020, races took place behind closed doors and no double-time payment was made.
The Court found the payment had been made every year, including when the number of meetings was reduced, and there was no evidence it came under the contract’s discretionary bonus provision. It concluded that the repeated payments had created a contractual commitment, so double time was properly payable under the Payment of Wages Act. The decision does not specify the amount due.