GPO staff lose claim for clock-in pay rise

An Post workers at the GPO in Dublin asked for a pay increase because they said it took them longer to clock-in under a new online system.

Workers with the Public Service Executive Union lodged the claim for a 2% pay increase “in recognition of the estimated 30 to 45 additional minutes per week that potentially it will take employees to clock in and out under the new system”. However, their claim was rejected.

The union told the Labour Court that An Post’s proposed new online attendance recording system at the GPO should be viewed as major change for a significant number of its members.

In response, An Post stated it is currently in a loss-making situation and is not in a position to concede the 2% pay increase.

An Post pointed out that “that there is a business requirement to introduce a standardised and modernised attendance recording system for all of its employees”.

It also argued that “the implementation of the new system will offer an enhanced service to both the company and employees”.

The updated online system is to replace the flexi-time system currently in place in the GPO.

An Post contended that the current flexi-time swipe system is outdated and requires modernisation, as it is not linked to current IT systems in use in the GPO.

The postal service further contended that it requires standardisation of the attendance recording system across all grades of employees and the new system has already been implemented for other GPO employees.

The union rejected An Post’s position and the dispute could not be resolved at local level and was the subject of a conciliation conference under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission.

As agreement was not reached the dispute was referred to the Labour Court where a hearing took place on the issue.

In its ruling, the Labour Court said the first point to be considered is whether the changes in issue constitute normal ongoing change.

It stated: “If the changes can be so characterised the union is committed to cooperating with the system under its existing agreement with the company.

“In this instance various systems of time recording are applied by the company, including recording by management. What is now in issue involves a new and uniform system of time recording. In that sense, it is clearly a new system of undertaking the same task.

“ In these circumstances, the court is satisfied that the disputed proposal constitutes normal ongoing change. In accordance with the current agreement the union should accept and co-operate with the new system.”

The court recommended that the new system be introduced and reviewed after six months.

It said that, in these circumstances, it could not agree to a 2% pay increase.