Unions will return to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Monday 24 June 2024, following a first engagement at the WRC in mid-May. The unions negotiating on behalf of workers  in the community and voluntary sector are Fórsa, the INMO and SIPTU, working with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).

These negotiations are taking place following the interim agreement secured in October 2023, which brought about pay increases for workers in the community and voluntary sector. It also provided for further negotiations to take place with regard to the terms of any successor public sector agreement to Building Momentum. 

With the new Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 ratified in March, unions sought engagement at the WRC to give effect to that provision. 

Fórsa national secretary Ashley Connolly said that the unions' core objective in these negotiations is to get an agreement that would re-align pay rates to those in the public service. She said: “The increases secured in October were very welcome and represented a significant step forward. But workers in the community and voluntary sector provide essential services in communities all across this country and they deserve pay equality.”

She continued: “After a first round of engagement, we expect the management side to make proposals on further pay adjustments when negotiations re-commence.” 

Regarding payment delays that have been experienced in some Section 39 organisations Ashley said:

 
“At our last WRC engagement, we took the opportunity to remind management that the ‘interim agreement’ applied to all Section 39 Organisations and that failure to pay union members may result in industrial action. We remain committed to ensuring our members in Section 39, 10, 40 and 56 agencies are protected and treated with the respect they deserve.” 

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