Labour Court recommends €3,000 payment to National Ambulance Service worker

The Labour Court recommended a €3,000 payment to a National Ambulance Service worker after finding that he had spent five years in a temporary higher-grade role, contrary to the usual 12-month limit. The recommendation, dated 4 December 2019, varied an Adjudication Officer’s earlier recommendation. The worker, represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU), sought permanent appointment as a Leading Emergency Medical Technician. The service said permanent positions were filled through open competition and the worker had not succeeded in that process. The Court said it could not recommend regularisation against recruitment rules. It recommended that management discuss the worker’s future prospects with him and SIPTU, agree supports and address barriers to future applications. It also recommended a once-off €3,000 payment in full and final settlement.