Fórsa general secretary, Kevin Callinan has responded to Budget 2021, saying a key test of the Budget provisions will be to what extent the additional spending lessens inequality.

Fórsa and the HSE will lodge an agreement under Section 4 of the Working Time act with the Labour Court. The agreement will be lodged in respect of compensatory rest for health managers (Grade VIII and above), and will ensure a mechanism to facilitate appropriate time off is activated when managers work excess hours.

Fórsa has sought the establishment of appropriate ‘negotiating machinery’, or a formalised structure for talks between management and all unions representing staff at St John of God (SJOG) community services.

Fórsa is preparing for the possibility of industrial action at the Oberstown youth detention centre following the placement of a young female detainee into a new mixed-gender unit.

Fórsa is to ballot clerical and administrative grades (III to VI) in the child and family agency, Tusla, following the agency’s suspension of an agreed job evaluation scheme for these grades, which had only re-opened in January 2020.

Fórsa and other unions will meet with the HSE next Monday (19^th October) to discuss the Labour Court recommendation for a fair redundancy package for former staff of the Sisters of Charity.

An increase in the national minimum wage of 10 cent an hour has been approved by the Government. The increase comes into effect from 1^st January 2021 and will bring the new minimum wage to €10.20 per hour.