Labour Court upholds recommendation in Kerry County Council dual-role dispute

The Labour Court upheld an Adjudication Officer’s recommendation in a dispute between Kerry County Council Local Authority and a worker represented by the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (SIPTU). The decision was dated 9 October 2023. The worker sought to combine a Waterworks Caretaker role with work as a Retained Fire Fighter. The Court found the caretaker role was safety-critical and required on-call availability, and said the Council had given clear and objective grounds for refusing the dual employment. It found no basis to support the worker’s claim.