Teagasc employees whose head office was relocated from Dublin to Carlow last year are to receive payments of up to €15,000 each for commuting.
The Agriculture and Food Development Authority workers have been awarded a one-off sum based on €142 per mile by the Labour Court.
The award is the highest on record for workers for relocation of work premises and will set a precedent for other workers, despite the fact the decision to decentralise Teagasc was taken prior to the McCreevy decision to decentralise Government departments.
The payment will be made to the workers over three years and has been sanctioned by the Departments of Agriculture and Food and Finance.
Teagasc put a rationalisation programme into force to cope with rising losses in 2002, a year before the McCreevy announcement on decentralisation in December 2003.
The 100 Teagasc staff at the organisation's Sandymount Avenue premises in Dublin were told they would have to move to Oak Park in Carlow where the new headquarters is now located.
The company made an offer of compensation for relocation of €102 for each additional mile staff would have to drive to work and this was rejected.
The unions involved, Siptu, Impact and Amicus, sought €333 per additional mile and the dispute was referred to the Labour Court in September 2004.
In December last the Labour Court issued a recommendation saying that the €102 offer which was based on a formula involving civil service mileage rates, was not reasonable because it did not have regard to the erosion of money values.
The parties went back for clarification and in the last week a further recommendation was issued which was accepted by all parties and recommended €142 per additional mile. This will mean those who now commute to Carlow from Dublin will receive payments of up to €15,000 each.
Other workers who have been transferred to Athenry in Galway will also benefit from the package.
While the recommendation has been made on the understanding it will not establish precedent, union sources were adamant yesterday that it will.
