The current recession has unfortunately seen considerable job losses. In addition, substantial numbers of employees have been asked to take a cut in pay or a reduction in working hours or both, with this option usually presented as an alternative to compulsory redundancies.

While many such employees have decided that this may be the lesser of two evils in the circumstances, others have opposed such alterations to their terms and conditions on the basis that they may amount to a breach of contract or employer/union agreement.

This email focuses on the first opinion delivered by the Labour Court under the Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act, 2007. At the request of the Tánaiste and Minister for