Dublin Port Company and SIPTU should jointly agree clear objectives and strategies to meet the challenges facing the port in the new millennium, the Labour Court has recommended.
"It is clear that there has been a very high dependency on overtime to carry out the normal day to day functions of the port," the court says in a determination involving 18 crane drivers. "This is an undesirable practice for any organisation but particularly one that is facing the kind of difficulties that Dublin Port will face in the next few years."
The system for organising working time needed to be "radically restructured", to bring it into line with modern-day practices. This was in the interest of both management and workers, said the recommendation - to plan for the sustainability of the port for the future.
Specifically, it recommended a restructuring plan "which should be realistic and ensure that goals are attainable". The plan must be completed by September 1st next at the latest, the court is adamant and "needs to be given the commitment it deserves from both sides". Any issues left outstanding at that date should be referred back: "The court will deal with these issues expeditiously."
During the course of a series of agreements which have run since 1984, the cranemen operated a compulsory overtime arrangement for which an allowance of £45.57 a week was paid.
In the period January-April 1999 the company sought to extend the existing (July 1994) agreement for a further five years and offered to increase the allowance to £60. The offer was rejected by the union, which argued that overtime earnings were not reflected in the calculation for pensionable pay - and sought an increase of £3 an hour on the basic rate, instead.
The management's response was that any increase on basic pay must be part of a comprehensive productivity agreement.
The court said that in the interim period before the plan was agreed:
crane operators should resume overtime as per the 1984 agreement
the company should pay a £70 a week allowance
any increases arising from the agreement should be made retrospective to April 1999.
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