The Labour Court has recommended that cleaning and security services group Bidvest Noonan give €26,000 in special Covid-19 recognition payments to a 52-strong group of hospital cleaners.
Chairman of the Labour Court Kevin Foley has recommended the €500 payment to each of the workers concerned after finding they delivered services in a healthcare setting vital to its continued operation through the pandemic.
Mr Foley said the court believed the contribution should be recognised in the interest of good industrial relations, be made as a gesture of good will and accepted in full as a final settlement of the dispute.
Before a hearing at the Labour Court, Siptu had argued that its members were essential workers given their location, and had remained on site during the pandemic as frontline workers.
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In response, Bidvest Noonan stated the employees worked in a private hospital, one not governed by the HSE, and which falls under the jurisdiction of the Mental Health Commission under the Mental Health Act, 2001.
It held, therefore, that they did not qualify for the Special Recognition Payment (SRP) as set out by government guidelines.
On behalf of the Labour Court, Mr Foley stated that the workers were seeking the Covid recognition payment on the basis that it was given to workers involved in the same work as themselves delivering service, including through contracting companies, to public healthcare facilities.
He noted that the employer had sought State funding for the recognition payment but that the relevant Government department made clear the State was not operating a scheme for contract cleaning staff engaged by a private operator.
Mr Foley also said Bidvest Noonan’s client on the site made a covid recognition payment to its own staff notwithstanding that no funding was provided by the State to the client employer to fund such a payment to its staff.
The most recent accounts for Bidvest Noonan (ROI) Ltd show pretax profits last year increased by 11 per cent to €30.65 million and paid out a dividend of €12 million.
The business – which employs 9,777 people – recorded a rise in revenues of 9 per cent from €300.86 million to €328.8 million in the 12 months to the end of last June.
