Clerys, the Dublin department store, has been told by the Labour Court to increase a goodwill payment offer to four female permanent part-time workers, on their retirement, from £1,000 to €3,000 per employee.
The recommendation was made in a dispute involving the four women - each of whom had more than 20 years' service with the company - who wanted Clerys to retrospectively fund its employer pension contribution so that they would be "entitled to a reasonable pension".
The company refused on the basis that the cost would be "prohibitive" and the matter was referred to the Labour Relations Commission. As no agreement was reached at the LRC, it was then referred to the Labour Court, where the company made its offer of £1,000 to each of the women as a goodwill retirement payment.
The company pension scheme was opened to its part-time workers in 1990, it told the Labour Court. At the time, there was no legal obligation to provide such a condition of employment.
SIPTU, on behalf of the four employees, reminded the court that the Protection of Employment (Part Time Work) Act, 2001 allowed part-time workers to be included in occupational pension schemes.
In making his recommendation, the court's deputy chairman, Mr Kevin Duffy, emphasised that it was based on the circumstances of the employees associated with the claim.
"It is not intended to have any broader application or to have any precedent value," he said.