Labour Court issues Tesco Pre-’96 Recommendation

The Labour Court has today (Friday, 5th April 2019) issued its Recommendation in relation to the dispute between Mandate Trade Union and Tesco Ireland over pay increases for workers employed before 1996.

Tesco Ireland has issued pay increases worth 8 percent to all other workers in the company, but has withheld payments for four years from pre-’96 staff.

Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary said: “While the Recommendation appears positive on initial consideration, Mandate will be analysing the decision in full and will determine our next steps in consultation with the effected members.”

The Recommendation states:

“As recommended by the Court in LCR21139 a basic pay increase of 2% should apply from 1st April 2015.”

It continues:

“No basic pay increase should apply in any year thereafter unless the basic pay rates of ‘post 1996’ workers achieved equality with the basic pay rates of the workers concerned herein in that year. At no time since 1st April 2016 should the rate of basic pay of these workers have fallen below the rates of ‘post 1996’ workers. Wherever equality of basic pay rates has been achieved since 1st April 2016 the workers concerned should receive basic pay increases in the normal way with effect from that date onwards such that equality is maintained.”

The Recommendation concludes:

“In any year in which basic pay increases have occurred in the case of ‘post 1996’ workers since 30th March 2016 and the terms of this Recommendation would result in no increase in that year in the rate of basic pay for the workers concerned herein a once off payment equivalent to 50% of the annual value of that basic pay increase should be made as a cash payment to the workers concerned herein in the year which such increase first applied to ‘post 1996’ workers.”

The full Labour Court Recommendation is available to read by clicking here.

Mandate will consult with members in relation to the Recommendation over the coming days.