LCR22715

1. Change To Payroll Frequency

BACKGROUND:

2. This dispute could not be resolved at local level and was the subject of a Conciliation Conference under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission. As agreement was not reached, the dispute was referred to the Labour Court on the 16 December 2022 in accordance with Section 26(1) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990.
A Labour Court hearing took place on 10 February 2023.
The following is the recommendation of the Court:

RECOMMENDATION :

Background to the Dispute

The within dispute relates to a proposal by management at the National Gallery of Ireland (‘the Employer’) to change the pay frequency period of State Industrial Grades (‘the Workers’) from weekly to fortnightly.

The Union’s Submission

SIPTU, on behalf of its members affected by the proposal, submits that the Workers’ strong preference is to retain the current weekly pay cycle arrangements. It further submits that the Employer’s proposal, if implemented, would have significant financial implications for the Workers. The Union is seeking an ex-gratia payment of the higher of €600.00 or one week’s salary per individual by way of compensation for the effects of the change.

The Employer’s Submission

The Employer submits that the proposal to move the Workers to a fortnightly pay cycle will lead to increased administrative efficiencies in its payroll section, freeing up staff in that section to deal with queries from employees in relation to pay and pension matters in an expeditious manner. The Employer accepts that the measure, if implemented, will result in only a modest saving of costs.

The Employer has offered the Workers a €100.00 tax-free voucher as a gesture of goodwill. It has also said that it will offer a €300.00 loan facility to the Workers to assist them to make the transition from weekly to fortnightly pay and will fund access to professional financial and budgeting advice for the Workers.

Recommendation

The Court commends the Employer’s offer to provide a short-term loan facility to the Workers and its undertaking to provide the Workers with access to financial and budgeting advice to be funded by the Employer. The Court, however, recommends that the Employer increase the value of the tax-free voucher to paid to the individual Workers by way of a goodwill gesture to €300.00 per person.

The Court so recommends.

	Signed on behalf of the Labour Court
	Alan Haugh
DC	______________________
1 March 2023	Deputy Chairman