Staff at South Dublin County Council have voted in favour of a set of Labour Relations Commission (LRC) proposals, introduced in September, designed to resolve the dispute over acting up arrangements in the local authority.
The LRC proposals followed a review of workforce planning and acting up arrangements at the council, which included submissions by IMPACT and SDCC management. IMPACT official Angela Kirk explained “We thrashed out the issues with management at the LRC throughout the summer months, and the proposals were developed from that process.”
The final returns show just over 89% in favour of the proposals.
Members at the local authority took industrial action in June in a dispute over management’s unilateral withdrawal of acting payments. Shane Lambert, cathaoirleach of IMPACT’s Local Government division, welcomed the ballot result, and commended members for their solidarity and determination during what he described as a “very challenging period” for the staff.
Under the LRC’s proposals, a quarterly forum of unions and management will meet to discuss workforce planning, succession planning and “ongoing analysis of organisational and operational requirements.”
Staff who were in unique or project posts, where the post has ceased, will retain their allowance until 1st September 2015. Staff previously in receipt of an acting up allowance, in excess of two years, and who are not successful in forthcoming confined competitions for posts, will retain their allowance for the same period.
