Background:
The complainant worker, who had been employed since 1998, faced ongoing disputes with the employer regarding pay, contract terms, and recognition of her managerial duties. Despite performing managerial tasks since 2010, the worker and her colleagues struggled to resolve pay disparities and contract issues through negotiations with SIPTU, which stalled. In 2019, the worker was informed her pay scale would align with the General Operative rate, but backpay requests remained unresolved. The COVID-19 pandemic led to her temporary layoff, during which the bar was outsourced, despite her long tenure. Multiple conciliation attempts took place, addressing layoff compensation and contractual terms. The worker argued that the employer’s calculations excluded her regular overtime and did not cover the full period