Labour Court varies RTE recommendation with €6,500 payment for worker

The Labour Court amended a Rights Commissioner’s recommendation and recommended an ex gratia payment of €6,500 for each claimant in a dispute over a competition for permanent RTE positions. The decision was dated 8 May 2008. The worker, represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union, challenged the handling of the competition, saying his interview was brief and his previous experience was overlooked. RTE said candidates received the same interview time and format, and selection was based on merit. The Court said a lack of clarity between the union and management about the competition procedures had contributed to the dispute. It recommended that the parties review those procedures for future competitions and amended the earlier recommendation to include the payment.