Dublin-based civil servants who lose out on promotional opportunities because of decentralisation are to press for financial compensation.
Delegates to the annual conference of the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU) voted yesterday to lodge "full compensatory claims" in the event of promotions being restricted, in spite of a warning from the union's leadership that the claims would have no chance of succeeding.
Opposing a motion calling for the claims to be lodged, incoming PSEU president Seán Beades, speaking on behalf of the executive committee, said delegates were "codding themselves" if they thought there was any prospect of compensation in the circumstances under discussion.
The motion, from the union's communications, marine and natural resources branch, called on the union's executive committee to monitor the impact on promotional vacancies of staff surpluses created in Dublin as a result of the Government's decentralisation programme.
It also called on the committee to report biannually on its findings to all the branches of the union, and to lodge "urgent" compensation claims on the occasion of each report "where a negative impact is determined".
Delegates disregarded the executive's advice and passed the motion by a large majority.
Divisions within the union over decentralisation marked the opening session of the two-day conference, in Killarney, Co Kerry. The PSEU, which represents executive and higher executive officers in the Civil Service, is officially neutral in regard to the decentralisation programme, given that its membership is split on the issue.
There were disagreements yesterday between Dublin-based members of the union who said career prospects would be damaged by decentralisation, and delegates based outside the capital who argued it would give them a fairer chance to compete for promotions.
Social welfare inspectors' branch delegate Majella Murphy criticised a motion which she said was taking the union "back again" to the concerns of Dublin-based members about promotions.
"For many years those of us down the country have had to look at Dublin-only competitions, or we've had to look at open competitions where the only vacancy available was in Dublin."
The problems being cited by Dublin delegates were "the same lack of opportunities country people have had to put up with for years", she said.
Delegates again rejected the executive committee's advice by supporting a motion calling for the union to involve itself in public debate about the impact of decentralisation on public services delivery and efficiency, notwithstanding its official policy of being "neither for nor against decentralisation".
The motion was initially declared defeated on a show of hands but, after a count was called for, it was declared passed by 133 votes to 123. The conference continues today.
