The former County Cork VEC has lost an employment case related to its controversial decision to open a creche which is the subject of a departmental probe.
County Cork VEC built a €1m creche alongside the Youthreach facility in Mallow after applying for unapproved lending from the local credit union to top up its funds. It also closed a similar facility in Fermoy and demanded workers relocate to Mallow. This led to a sit-in by Fermoy staff, with CCVEC ultimately reaching a settlement. However, the enhanced redundancy package was not offered to one member of staff who had been made redundant shortly beforehand. She took her case to the Labour Court.
In a recently published appeal, court chairman Kevin Duffy said CCVEC had no right to deny the worker a better package just because she was made redundant before the Fermoy creche closed down.
"Her colleagues who were made redundant... were paid enhanced redundancy, whereas the claimant was paid statutory terms only.
"There were no material differences in the circumstances of the claimant and those of her colleagues who received enhanced terms.
"The court can see no justification for the difference in treatment afforded to the claimant relative to that of her colleagues."
CCVEC had argued that she had been offered alternative employment in Mallow, 32km away.
There was no direct bus route, but CCVEC said there was a job available and she had commuted by car.