LCR23298

PARTIES:

DIVISION:

SUBJECT:

A referral under Section 26(1) Industrial Relations Act 1990, CAM-102297-25.

BACKGROUND:

This dispute could not be resolved at local level and was the subject of a Conciliation Conference under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission. As agreement was not reached, the dispute was referred to the Labour Court on 18th November 2025 in accordance with Section 26(1) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990.

A Labour Court hearing took place on 3rd July 2026.

The Dispute

The within dispute concerns the number of Attendant Grade Security Staff (‘AGSS’) employed by the National Gallery of Ireland (‘the Employer’).

The Union Submission

The Union submits that the ‘Joint Agreement between SIPTU Representatives and NGI Management in relation to Integration and Rosters’ (2017) provides for a complement of 67 AGSS personnel but that Management has unilaterally reduced that number to 63.

The Employer’s Submission

Management accepts that there has been a reduction in AGSS numbers. It further submits that a joint Union/Management agreement – ‘Transition 2020’ (2019) – confirmed that it has the sole right to determine “manpower planning, staffing, rosters, allocation of duties and all internal and external inputs, outputs, which directly or indirectly affect or may affect the efficient and effective running of the organisation.” Finally, management submits that the reduction from 67 to 63 occurred as a consequence of operational changes that resulted in a reduction in its security requirements and were effected following consultation with the Union.

Recommendation

Having carefully considered the Parties’ written and oral submissions to it, the Court finds that there is a considerable divergence between the Parties in respect of a number of very fundamental factual issues. In the Court’s view, therefore, this dispute has been prematurely referred to the Court.

The Court, accordingly, recommends that the Parties re-engage as soon as practicable with the assistance of the Conciliation Service with a view, in the first instance, of finding common ground in relation to the factual issues highlighted by the Court in the course of the within hearing.

The Court so recommends.

	Signed on behalf of the Labour Court
	Alan Haugh
JNF	______________________
08/07/2026	Deputy Chairman

NOTE

Enquiries concerning this Recommendation should be in writing and addressed to Ms. Julie Nicholl-Flood, Court Secretary.