The Labour Court recommended that Irish Express Cargo concede the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union’s claim for retrospective application of Programme for Prosperity and Fairness pay increases from 1 April 2000. The recommendation was signed on 25 March 2004. The Court said retrospection should take account of increases applied to basic pay from 1 April 2000 and should not offset the 4% increase paid in January 2000. The union had sought €1,200 per worker to settle the dispute, while the company’s final offer on retrospection was €550 per worker. A separate issue involving workers excluded from a 10% increase was outside the referral, though the company proposed discussions on it.