A three-year campaign by staff at Ashford Castle in Cong, Co Mayo, for improvements in pay and conditions is likely to be referred to the Circuit Court.
The five-star hotel has declined to say whether it intends to implement a Labour Court determination, which requires it to improve terms and conditions for its 140 staff.
The recommendation was issued on January 14th and the hotel was given a month to implement it. If it fails to do so within days, SIPTU says it will seek to have the recommendation enforced by the Circuit Court.
The court said workers at Ashford Castle were entitled to "fair and reasonable" rates of pay and other conditions of employment.
The hotel, which quotes rates from €291 a night for a standard room to almost €1,000 a night for the presidential suite, is owned by a group of business people including the O'Reilly family. Mr Gavin O'Reilly, chairman of Independent Newspapers Ireland, is a member of its board.
The hotel's general manager, Mr Niall Rochford, told The Irish Times it had written to the Labour Court and was waiting for a response. In the meantime, it would not be making a comment.
But in a statement last night, the hotel said its pay rates were among the highest in the sector.
A spokesman said a survey by IBEC and the Irish Hotels' Federation had established that more than 85 per cent of its staff enjoyed pay and conditions in the top quartile of the five-star hotel sector in Ireland.
The Labour Court, however, said it had had "particular regard" to rates of pay and other conditions of employment established by collective bargaining in hotels providing a similar level of service to Ashford Castle.
It told the hotel to increase staff pay and to improve conditions under a range of headings, including sick pay and pensions. SIPTU says the pay rises recommended an average 15-20 per cent.
The court was given details of the IBEC/IHF survey in the course of its deliberations.
The case would be the first to reach the Circuit Court under procedures agreed by the social partners during the negotiations on Sustaining Progress. The procedures, subsequently enshrined in legislation, apply to cases where employers refuse to recognise unions for collective bargaining purposes.
Pilots' union IALPA is using the same procedures to pursue its case for better terms and conditions at Ryanair.
In the case of Ashford Castle, the Labour Court has recommended the introduction of a new sick pay scheme and disciplinary procedures, and changes to the hotel's pension scheme. It has also told the hotel to clarify to customers its service charge arrangements. It said the manner in which accommodation was marketed by the hotel could give the "erroneous impression" that a service charge was included, which in turn could result in staff receiving fewer tips.
Dealing with pay, the court set out the minimum rates that should be paid to all fully-trained and qualified staff, based on a 39-hour week.
It recommends that a receptionist receive €350 per week, a day porter €372, a night porter €411, a housekeeping assistant €372, a linen porter €372, a bartender €450, a still room assistant €337, a wash-up assistant €337, a waiter or waitress €450 and a chef €450.
