Union leaders yesterday told Department of Finance officials of their categoric opposition to a proposal to limit Civil Service promotions to staff willing to move to decentralised offices.
After a "robust" exchange, however, the two sides agreed to review their positions and meet for further discussions in a fortnight. Unions have threatened to withdraw co-operation with the Government's decentralisation programme unless the proposal is dropped.
They say the plan, if implemented, would mean Dublin-based civil servants would have no prospect of being promoted for at least several years.
Yesterday's meeting, of the decentralisation subcommittee of the Civil Service general council, was the first since the Department tabled the controversial proposal in December.
Mr Seán Ó Riordáin, general secretary of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants, said unions had expressed total opposition to the proposal. The plan had introduced a coercive element to the decentralisation plan, which unions had been told would be voluntary, he said.
"If this is implemented Dublin-based civil servants will be required to give up their careers on the altar of decentralisation."
Mr Tom Geraghty, deputy general secretary of the Public Service, said there had been a "full, frank and robust exchange", but no progress on a resolution.
A Department of Finance spokesman said the issue was just one of many being discussed by the decentralisation subcommittee, which began regular meetings last September.
The Department would reflect on what the union side had said and would try to progress the issue at the next meeting on January 26th. Although there had been some "sounding off" in public about the issue, the two sides would continue their discussions through the established procedures to try to find agreement.
The Department was unable to say yesterday whether a revised proposal on promotions would be presented to the next meeting.