Labour Court ruling may hamper decentralisation plans

The Government's decentralisation plans have suffered a major setback following a Labour Court ruling that FÁS cannot award promotions on the basis that staff move to its new headquarters outside Dublin.

The court has accepted SIPTU's argument that FÁS staff have different terms and conditions to civil servants who can move freely between departments.

The ruling could have implications for up to 2,500 SIPTU members working in 23 semi-state agencies.

The union says it should be a timely reminder to the Government that decentralisation is supposed to be a voluntary process.