Turf club officials want Labour Court intervention

NEWS:TURF CLUB officials have renewed calls that the dispute which threatens to bring Irish racing to a halt next week should be brought to the Labour Court.

On the back of Friday evening’s decision by the Turf Club Officials Association to vote for strike action, the Punchestown fixture in eight days is the first meeting eligible for industrial action to take place.

Yesterday the Turf Club were awaiting official notification of that vote from the Mandate Union, a move that allows for one week’s notice before strike action can commence.

However, the TCOA yesterday called for the dispute, which centres on cutbacks and changes to terms and conditions of employment, to go to the Labour Court after two days of talks at the Labour Relations Commission last week failed to come up with a solution.

“We are trying to get the Turf Club to concede to go to the Labour Court but all we are getting is no,” said the TCOA chairman, Michael O’Donoghue.

“From our point of view the Labour Court would be ideal because it is a tribunal that can decide what is fair to both sides. We are the ones making all the running on this but there has been no leeway whatsoever from the Turf Club,” he added.

Racing’s regulatory body is reportedly looking for staff-related cuts of €282,000 on the back of its budget from Horse Racing Ireland being cut by €1.5 million in two years to €6.4 million.

“We have proposed ways to achieve cuts but all we are hearing is no,” O’Donoghue said. “In fact, the Turf Club is now telling us that if we stick to our present terms and conditions, they may not be able to honour our cheques at the end of the month.”

He added: “If the situation exists as it seems to be, then we would have extreme concern about the current financial position of the Turf Club.”

Denis Egan, chief executive of the Turf Club, however, stressed yesterday that its integrity services is a “stand alone operation” and that other Turf Club revenue streams cannot be used to subsidise them. He also said this issue has nothing to do with the Turf Club’s financial position.

“We get a budget from HRI and we can only operate to that budget. It is unlikely that we will be unable to pay people but it is possible if this issue isn’t resolved,” Egan said. He also didn’t rule out taking the matter to the Labour Court.