Recommendations due in Liebherr pay dispute

The Labour Court is due to make recommendations for settling a pay dispute at the Liebherr container crane factory, in Killarney, Co Kerry, tomorrow following a hearing with company and trade union representatives.

The 300 Siptu members involved will afterwards hold a ballot on the recommendations.

The workers, who had been on an overtime ban, staged a one-day official strike at the 670-job plant, last week, and later suspended any further action pending the hearing.

In 2011, the company looked for cost-saving measures in lieu of a 2.5% pay rise, over a three-year period going forward.

But Siptu is insisting the claim dates to Jan 1, 2009, and that its members are entitled to a pay increase going back to that date.

Despite the recession, the German-owned factory has been exceptionally busy manufacturing cranes for ports around the world, in recent years, and is worth €70m annually to the local economy.

In Killarney since 1958, it has been one of Kerry’s major employers and has an annual €40m wage bill.