Fórsa issued a letter to Dublin City Council management this week, underlining the union’s serious concerns in relation to open recruitment processes, which are being proposed by the Council. 

This proposal aims to move towards open recruitment competitions for grades across Clerical/Administrative, Analogous, Professional/Technical, Operational, and Craft roles that are currently subject to ‘confined competitions,’ otherwise known as internal recruitment. The employer believes that the proposals are in line with clauses in the Public Service Agreements in operation from 2011 through to 2026.  

Fórsa is strongly opposed to this proposal for several key reasons. Internal recruitment provides a vital pathway for existing staff to advance their careers within the Council.  

Fórsa official Maura Cahalan said: “While the Council is framing this as a move to "attract and recruit the most suitable candidates from the largest pool of eligible applicants" and improve service delivery, Fórsa believes this proposal poses a significant threat to the career progression and morale of our dedicated members within Dublin City Council.” 

The core of the proposal is to advertise open recruitment competitions for all grades, unless these grades are already covered by national agreements or are already advertised as open. This will impact members in the DCC branch and in the Municipal Employees' Division.

Chair of the union’s Dublin City Council branch, and Senior Vice President, Julie Flood said: “DCC is arguing that changing recruitment processes would allow for a more diverse range of applicants to come forward and for vacancies to be filled faster.” 

“However, in the document the Council itself acknowledges that this would have an effect on staff, particularly in regard to increased competition for promotional posts and roles within Dublin City Council." 

Convenor of the Municipal Employees’ Division Tommy Murtagh said: “This will demotivate staff and impact morale. There also aren’t enough guarantees that training would be provided to equip existing staff with the skills needed to compete effectively in an open market. This would leave members at a disadvantage”. 

While the proposal references clauses of numerous Public Service Agreements, Fórsa believes that the spirit of these agreements should also prioritise the development and retention of existing public servants. This proposal appears to prioritise external recruitment over internal progression. 

Jay Power, Fórsa official with responsibility for the Municipal Employees' Division, stated Dublin City Council is the largest and only Tier 1 local authority in the country, saying: “The ramifications on loyal long serving members of DCC will be massive and this is something that the members do not agree with.” 

Fórsa will continue to engage with Dublin City Council on this proposal locally. 

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