Labour Court sends Wexford librarians’ jobs dispute to national talks

The Labour Court recommended that Wexford County Council and the group of workers represented by IMPACT Trade Union pursue national discussions over Branch Librarians’ access to Library Assistant posts. The recommendation was dated 26 April 2017. The workers said they were not given an opportunity to interview for the posts and sought full-time Library Assistant roles, saying their hours and earnings had fallen after external candidates were appointed. The Council said its recruitment process was fair and that appointing the workers without competition could affect both grades nationally. The Court said the issue had potential national implications and should be progressed at the Local Authority National Council, with regard to the Code of Practice on Access to Part-Time Work. If discussions did not resolve outstanding matters, it recommended conciliation at the Workplace Relations Commission and, if necessary, referral back to the Labour Court.