Labour Court declines municipal and civil trade union’s job evaluation claim

The Labour Court recommended against the Irish Municipal, Public And Civil Trade Union’s claim for a job evaluation scheme across local authorities, in a decision dated 17 November 2017. The claim was made against the Local Government Management Agency. The union said a scheme would provide an objective method for setting pay and updating job descriptions, and cited a joint scheme agreed in 1971. The agency argued there was no business case, that the scheme would increase costs and that it conflicted with government policy. The Court was not satisfied that the union had made a business case for the scheme. It noted that management was reviewing job descriptions for clerical and administrative grades, and said it was prepared to consider a business case if the union presented one.