Pay rises totalling 9.5 per cent over three years have been recommended by the Labour Court for 300 general operatives working for the healthcare services firm Uniphar.
In its recommendation published on Thursday, the court declined to set out the arguments made by the two sides but suggested there had been a gap of 3 per cent over the course of the three-year deal in the positions of the employer and the workers, represented by Siptu.
It ultimately recommended that the workers receive a rise of 5 per cent this year, backdated to January 1st, with a further 2.5 per cent increase in January 2024 and another 2 per cent at the start of 2025.
The court also recommended that the company provide the employees with tax-free vouchers to the value of €350, €250 and €250 for 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively.
In a separate case involving 3,000 mechanical operatives, including welders, plumbers and pipe fitters, represented by Unite, the court recommended a two-stage rise of 5.4 per cent over and above what had previously been agreed between the union and the Mechanical Engineering and Building Services Contractors Association.
Unite had sought an additional 11 per cent for its members, arguing the sector had become significantly more profitable since the original agreement had been reached while inflation had hit unexpectedly high levels.
The employers’ side, represented by the Construction Industry Federation, offered 3.5 per cent in October of this year with a further 1.9 per cent 12 months after that, arguing that when the previously agreed deal was factored in, the offer would provide for an 8.2 per cent increase over the course of the two years. It also gave a commitment to engage with the union on an agreement for 2025.
In its recommendation, the court noted that the employer group’s offer had been “accepted in a secret ballot of the members of the other trade union involved in the negotiations. The offer has, however, been rejected by Unite the Union without a ballot of its membership and referred to the court in accordance with the procedures provided for in the parties’ agreements.”
It recommended increases in addition to the originally agreed amounts, of 3.5 per cent from September 18th of this year and 1.9 per cent from August 5th 2024, and said the parties should engage next year on the formulation of an agreement to take effect in April 2025.
