Fás staff vote in favour of ending dispute

Workers at the State training agency Fás have voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour Relations Commission proposals to end …

Workers at the State training agency Fás have voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour Relations Commission proposals to end their dispute over decentralisation.

The employees had been in dispute over plans to transfer their jobs to Birr, Co Offaly. They claimed they were told they would not be eligible for promotion if they refused to move in 2009.

A spokeswoman for the workers' union, Siptu, confirmed this evening's ballot result was 98 per cent in favour of the LRC proposals.

A set of proposals put forward following talks Friday were accepted by Siptu, which balloted members at the Fás headquarters in Baggot St, Dublin this afternoon.

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Siptu said on Friday that the dispute would cease if members accepted the proposals.

Over 10,000 public servants will be moved from Dublin to 50 locations throughout the State under the decentralisation plan announced in former minister for finance Charlie McCreevy's 2003 Budget.

The Impact trade union claimed at its conference last week that it would cost €65 million to replace public servants who chose not to move when their jobs are transferred from the capital.