In 1998, the Labour Court recommended that Manor Produce Company Limited and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union negotiate a revised sick-pay scheme before the Partnership 2000 agreement expired. The recommendation was dated 8 January 1998. The union objected to the 12-month wait to requalify for sick pay, saying it treated workers who used their entitlement quickly the same as those who used it over a longer period. The Court said the scheme might be unfair in some respects and recommended negotiations to address the union’s concern, while recognising the agreement’s terms.