In a big win for local government staff, a revised promotion competition arrangement will soon replace the common recruitment pool. The Fórsa-negotiated agreement, which heralds new promotional pathways for eligible local authority staff, will benefit some 9,000 workers.  

The new arrangement, significantly improves the opportunities for promotion to fill new posts. 

“In the future, one in five vacancies for promotion to grades IV to VII will be filled from within the members’ own county council,” according to Peter Nolan, head of Fórsa’s Local Government division. 

The proposal, officially set to be published as a circular, emerged after the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) had threatened to scrap the common recruitment pool and see all promotions filled by open competition. 

Talks took place following a ballot for industrial action, and the deal that emerged was overwhelmingly accepted by Fórsa members. 

Peter said it was the most progressive and radical development for those seeking promotion in the local government and regional assemblies in over 50 years.

“Following the ballot on revised promotion competition, the employer’s government agency will now seek sanction from the department of housing, planning and local government. It is expected that the revised fields of competition will come into effect shortly,” he said.