Labour Court backs management selection process in local-authority posts dispute

In 2002, the Labour Court recommended that management's selection process proceed in a dispute between the Local Government Management Services Board and the Clerical & Administration Grades Employed By Local Authorities, represented by the Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union. The disagreement concerned how posts under the Better Local Government agreement should be filled. The union argued that the agreement called for confined competition and that the first filling meant the person taking up the post. Management said it had honoured its commitments. The Court said it could not determine definitively what the parties intended, and that confined competition could not reasonably be required where suitable candidates were insufficient.