Also in this issue
 
Catherine Keogh.
Catherine Keogh.
Fórsa defends health administrators
by Bernard Harbor

Fórsa official Catherine Keogh took to the airwaves last week to refute claims that health service administrative staff were to blame for the hospital A&E ‘trolley crisis.’

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Compulsory public service retirement age raised
by Bernard Harbor

The Government is to legislate to allow public servants who are currently obliged to retire at age 65 to opt to stay in work longer. 

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Sex harassment law change sought
by Sean Carabini

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is seeking legal changes to make it easier for victims to report sexually abusive behaviour in the workplace. 

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Patricia King, ICTU
Precarious work is now common
by Bernard Harbor

Precarious working arrangements have now spread across the economy according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).

 

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Coalition seeks pension cut reversal
by Bernard Harbor

Fórsa joined a broad coalition of unions, and organisations campaigning for pensioners and women to demand the reversal of 2012 pension cuts.

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Keeping you in touch
by Bernard Harbor

You’re reading one of five new fortnightly Fórsa bulletins.

 

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Bigger union, better benefits

Fórsa members can save lots of money with our enhanced package of financial benefits provided or negotiated by the union. 

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Health workers get new year pay boost
by Bernard Harbor
 

Health staff are due a 1% pay increase with effect from 1st January 2018, under the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) negotiated by Fórsa and other public service unions. The next instalment of the deal, which was backed by members of the three unions that recently amalgamated to create our new union, will see a further 1% adjustment in October.

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Big names for HSCP event
by Roisin McKane
 

Health minister Simon Harris and the chief executives of the HSE, Tusla and the National Association of Voluntary Bodies will be among the speakers at a Fórsa conference on the future of health and social care professionals (HSCP) next month. Susanne Rastrick, chief allied professions officer of NHS England will also contribute.

 

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Section 39 industrial action mooted
by Bernard Harbor
 

Fórsa’s Health and Welfare divisional executive has approved a campaign of industrial action to win pay restoration in agencies that are funded by the public health service, but which operate independently of the HSE. The union is identifying which of these ‘section 39’ agencies have failed to restore recession-era pay cuts, even though they have relatively robust funding streams.

 

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Fórsa clears final hurdle
by Bernard Harbor
 

The final piece of the Fórsa jigsaw was put in place on 2nd January, when the Registrar for Friendly Societies confirmed that the new union was registered and cleared to start work on behalf of more than 80,000 members. The registrar is the statutory regulator for trade unions.

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Working time window opens
by Derek Mullen
 

Public servants who want to revert to ‘pre-Haddington Road’ working hours – with a pro-rata salary reduction – can apply to do so between now and April 2018. The opportunity, which was negotiated by Fórsa as part of the Public Services Stability Agreement (PSSA), will then close before briefly reopening between January and April 2021.

 

 

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