The Engin-ering Employers' Federation has issued a statement to its 4,500 member companies as guidance on the operation of the Contracts of Employment Act. Under the Act an employee is entitled to notice of dismissal which varies in time up to four weeks according to the length of service. If employees strike it appears thet they return to base as far as qualification for long notice is concerned. In the statement the Federation remarks that companies which are trying to secure a return ‘to work during an unofficial strike may be met with a demand for no victimisation of strikers after the resumption of work. The statement goes on: "Such no victimisation claims May include a demand that the employees who took part in the strike shall suffer no loss of continuity of service and no loss of longer notice rights under the Act. If, in such cases, an employer were to give employees contrsctual rights equivalent to their lost statutory rights, the prescribed intention of this part of the Act would be destroyed."
Union officials sare taking legal advice on the question, and depending upon this will decide whether or not to press for an amendment to the Act. Whilst the Federation deny issuing an instruction on the matter it is clear that they are trying to stiffen tharmembers! attitude,