Labour Court rejects SNA’s appeal over reduced hours at St Sylvester’s

The Labour Court dismissed a special needs assistant’s appeal over reduced hours at St Sylvester’s Infant School, agreeing that seniority did not have to determine the allocation in the circumstances. The decision was dated 29 September 2010. The Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union appealed on the worker’s behalf against a Rights Commissioner recommendation. The dispute followed a reduction in the school’s allocation to six SNA posts of 12.5 hours a week, which cut five workers’ hours from 23.5 hours. The Court noted that seniority was used when later allocations changed.