The company claims the planned industrial action is being carried out in breach of the 1990 Industrial Relations Act. It says no valid disagreement exists between it and the union.
The dispute between the workers and the firm concerns a demand for the restoration of a travel allowance of one hour’s pay that had been previously given to employees. Holding the hearing at a later date will enable the court to determine the “relatively serious issues” in an orderly way, he said.H A O’Neil employs more than 400 people directly and some 1,100 indirectly or on a contractual basis.
In 2019, says H A O’Neil, Unite and Connect trade unions sought pay increases and the restoration of the travel allowance for its members. An agreement was reached on pay, but the allowance issue has not been resolved, the firm says.Last month, Unite said its H A O’Neil employee members had rejected the Labour Court’s recommendation and voted to take industrial action, including withdrawing labour and picketing at work sites, the company alleges.