THE pet food manufacturer C & D Foods, yesterday lost its High Court challenge to a Labour Court decision that female workers carrying out work of equal value to male workers should be paid the same wage.
Mr Justice Barron, dismissing the appeal by the Longford based firm, said it was clear the Labour Court's determination in February, 1995, was based on a full evaluation of the work being done by the women concerned.
There are two pay grades in the factory. In 1991, several women workers claimed they were being discriminated against on the grounds of sex because work by male employees engaged in jobs covered by a higher grade were of no greater value to the company than theirs.
In October, 1991, an equality officer ruled that only some of the women were doing work of equal value to the men in a higher grade. Both the company and the union representing the women appealed the equality officer's finding to the Labour Court, which upheld it.
C & D Foods had challenged the Labour Court's ruling on the basis that like work does not entitle the women to equal pay because the difference in pay between the claimants and the men carrying out the like work and being paid the higher wage was upon a ground other than sex.
Mr Justice Barron rejected the company's submission.