Labour Court rejects union appeal over Galway City Council acting Ganger appointment

The Labour Court disallowed a union appeal on behalf of a worker concerning Galway City Council and affirmed the Rights Commissioner's recommendation. The decision was signed on 5 December 2012. The dispute concerned the council's appointment of a General Operative to act as a Ganger. The union argued the council should have held a competition and considered the worker's seniority, suitability and experience. The council said it followed its procedures for a short-term acting appointment and the worker had no automatic entitlement to the role. The Rights Commissioner had found the council followed its procedures for the short-term appointment and recommended advertising the vacancy within two weeks when the acting period exceeded 26 weeks. The Labour Court considered those conclusions reasonable and the recommendation appropriate.