Aer Lingus Teoranta v. Labour Court, 26 February 1988
Annual Review of Population Law 15: 166-167
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0364-3417 PMID: 12289293 Document Number: 383687
The plaintiffs were airline hostesses who claimed that they had been discriminated against on the basis of sex by their employer. On appeal of a lower court decision, the High Court of Ireland held the following, among other things: 1) the plaintiffs could seek relief with respect to new acts of discrimination that are the direct result of an original act even if a complaint about the original act would be time-barred; 2) the Labour Court need not hold a preliminary hearing to decide whether a complaint is receivable before trying to settle the complaint or referring it to an equality officer for investigation; and 3) the plaintiffs had been subject to discrimination in 1) being forced to resign on marriage; 2) being refused permanent employment when other married women who married later were taken back into service; and 3) when taken back, being refused recognition for past service and experience in calculating seniority when other married women had been given full recognition. It ruled that, under the Employment Equality Act 1977, discrimination could occur with respect to the same sex on the basis of marital status.