Dear colleagues,

As summer slowly turns to autumn, and children settle back to school, your union has been hard at work over the summer putting in place plans for the months ahead.

Budget day has been announced as Tuesday 1st October. In this bulletin you’ll find a piece on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) pre-budget submission, which we fully support. I have also written to Minister Peter Burke T.D. calling on him to do everything he can to ensure tax relief on union subscriptions is re-instated.

This move would send a signal that union members are respected and demonstrate the government’s commitment to making the EU Adequate Minimum Wages directive part of Irish law. 

Over 20,000 of you took part in this summer’s Amárach survey. Thank you for taking the time to tell us what is going on in your working lives. Your responses enable us to know that when we talk to employers and to politicians, we’re speaking about what you really care about. So, what did you tell us? 

84% of you said that pay improvement will inform how you will vote in the next election, while 74% said that they would be more likely to vote for parties that would commit to negotiating pay increases that go beyond inflation.

Three quarters of members who took part in the survey want a four-day week and will support candidates and political parties that would pledge to run a trial of a four-day working week in the public service.

Investment in community health is an issue of utmost importance to members with 81% saying they will vote for candidates and parties who make this a priority. Elsewhere, support for a referendum on public ownership of water services and for affordable childcare have increased. 

A general election is on the horizon. While it’s not yet clear if it will take place in late 2024 or early 2025, the bookie’s favourite seems to be November. In October Fórsa will release a manifesto, highlighting our members’ priorities. 

While we are not a political party, the membership surveys we carried out in 2020, 2023 and again this summer, clearly show a demand among members for better pay and working conditions, a re-imagined working week, and investment in public services. That’s what we will focus on at a political level, and as we do every day in workplaces across the country. 

I would also like to pay tribute to our recently deceased colleague from ICTU Macdara Doyle who passed away last week after a short illness. His contribution to our movement will not be forgotten.

Let me finish by wishing you all the very best in the months ahead. As your general secretary my door is always open. I want to hear from members, activists, and branches about what’s going on in your areas, so if you feel the union can do more for you and your colleagues please get in touch. 

Thank you,
Kevin Callinan
General Secretary

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

Fórsa staff and activists are set to don their cycle gear in aid of the United for Dave: Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association fundraiser, taking place on Saturday 28th September. 

Our former colleague, Dave Hughes, is currently living with Motor Neurone Disease. With Dave’s blessing, some of his former Fórsa colleagues are organising a 100km sponsored cycle to raise funds for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association, which has given its approval to this initiative. 

Dave is a well-known and popular figure in the trade union movement and beyond. He recently retired as deputy general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and previously worked for IMPACT, the CPSU, and the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. He has worked tirelessly for members over many years, and he is a popular and respected figure across the entire trade union movement and beyond. 

The event takes place from 9.00am on Saturday 28th September, setting off from the INMO headquarters in Dublin 7. The route is a 100km loop into Co. Meath and back, returning through Dave’s home turf of Clonsilla. 

If you’d like to take part, you should send your details to Linda Casey (lcasey@forsa.ie) on or before Monday 23rd September. It’s not a race and you can cycle as much or as little as you like.

If cycling isn’t for you, you can still show solidarity and support the fundraising effort. Simply donate what you can, as an individual or an organisation, through this link here. All donations are processed securely, and all funds go directly to the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

You can find more information on the cycle here.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa. 

Rugby, football, music—there are countless things that divide people in Irish society, but one of the biggest is whether you’ve ever been to the annual Ploughing Championships. Slick urbanites and jackeens might drop their jaw in bafflement to learn that this is one of Europe’s largest outdoor events, with preparations well underway in Ratheniska, Co. Laois, for an event that will dwarf the Electric Picnic. 

Held every September, the event draws over 1,700 exhibitors and had 277,000 visitors in 2022. For the first time ever Fórsa will have a stand at the event.  

What started off as a contest where participants plough parts of a field has become famed for showcasing an incredible array of high end, cutting edge agricultural machinery, prize animals and bombastic business marquees hawking their wares. For kids (and maybe some of the adults amongst ye…)  it’s also a chance to run around hoarding bags full of pens and stationery to get them through the school year.  

Speaking about why the union will be at the ploughing this year Fórsa President Martin Walsh said: “Our union stands up for workers across this island, no matter where they live and work. It’s really important that we’re present at the Ploughing Championships to meet members and sign-up new members. Better public services, good work-life balance, equality, and fair wages affect us all.”

Grace Williams, Fórsa’s head of campaigns, said: “The 2023 National Teagasc Farm Survey revealed that 60% of farm households had off-farm employment, with 42% of farmers themselves working off the farm. So, while some politicians may emphasise the urban-rural divide, in reality PAYE workers and small farmers are one and the same these days. False dichotomies about the rural/urban divide are out of step with how people’s lives are shaped. Trade unions see a shared interest among all working people.”

Sean McElhinney, the union’s director of membership, sees the event as an opportunity to do some practical organising on site and map out various workplaces. 

“Our plan is to get down there and make our presence felt. We’ll already have members working at various stalls for government bodies and community organisations, so come over and talk to us – don’t be a stranger. We're in the Education & Business tent at stand number seven. If you’re down there and thinking of joining the union, then come and chat. We’ll be bringing a van full of Fórsa merchandise and materials with us, so drop-by if you get a chance and take some things back for your workmates.” 

The National Ploughing Championships will return to Ratheniska for the third successive year and is set to take place on September 17th, 18th, and 19th. Fórsa will be at stand number seven in the Education and Business Hub. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa. 

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has published its pre-Budget submission ahead of Budget day which will take place on Tuesday 1st October.

Congress general secretary Owen Reidy said the Budget is an opportunity to address the need “to develop a cohesive strategy to ensure consistent well-being gains over the next generation for everyone in Irish society.”

He added that Congress believes the government’s economic goals should be based on four mutually reinforcing pillars:

• A high-productivity economy
• Labour market participation and good jobs for all that want it
• Economic security for all
• Economic stability with dynamism

Owen added: “We need to re-imagine and re-design our economic model in order to build a sustainable, prosperous and inclusive economy for all. We want to avoid the booms and busts that have caused such huge pain in the past, and to protect people from the ups and downs of the international economy even though we recognise that engagement is critical.”

He said the pandemic crisis had already shown that basic public services, good employment, and the broader welfare state are “the indispensable bedrocks underpinning people’s economic well-being.”

Congress is of the firm view that there can be ‘no going back’ to the old economic model: “Our view is that we need to develop a cohesive strategy to ensure consistent well-being gains over the next generation for everyone in Irish society. 

“We believe that a longer-term strategic and structural approach should determine our budgetary policy, our approach to the provision of public services, to welfare policy and to the sustainability of our tax base, in a world increasingly characterised by disruptive megatrends,” he said.

With less than four weeks to Budget 2025, there have been very robust exchequer returns again this year. This week it was reported that overall tax revenues stood at €59.8bn at the end of last month, €6.7bn ahead of last year. Tax receipts of €7.4bn were collected in August, up over €2bn (40%) on the same month last year, of which €3.7bn was corporation tax, up €1.9bn on August of last year.

Read the full submission here. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

Fórsa’s Third Level Grant Support Scheme for union representatives for the 2024/25 academic year is now open to applicants.  

The scheme is intended to assist union representatives in acquiring knowledge and skills that will help them to better carry out the role of a union representative. Financial assistance will be provided to successful applicants, so that they can undertake a certified educational course at third level. Post graduate qualifications are not covered.

Courses must provide qualifications and skills which will benefit a member in their work, union, and personal life. The grant is not intended to assist in the progression of a members’ professional development or career. 

The scheme is open to all union representatives. A union representative role includes performing any role on behalf of their union colleagues at workplace, branch, vocational group or other level.

To qualify for the scheme a member must:

• Be a current paid up member of Fórsa in good standing.
• Be able to provide details of their role, current or past, as a union representative.
• Have the support of their own union branch (an authorised Branch Officer will need to sign the form before submission.)
• Explain how the course content will assist them to better carry out the role of union representative.
• Be able to provide details of the course and verification of course fees from the course provider.
• Be able to provide evidence of having applied to their employer seeking funding for their course.

Grants are based on the gross cost of undertaking the course up to a maximum of €3,000 per year. The amount awarded to successful applicants will be decided by the Membership Services Committee. 

Applications must be submitted via email to bursaries@forsa.ie by 5.30pm Thursday 24th October, 2024.

Further details are available here.
Application form is available here.

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa. 

It’s back to school for the young and not so young. Forsa’s Skills Academy has plenty on offer in the weeks and months ahead.

Data Protection Online Wednesday 16th October from 10am till 1pm.

Since GDPR came into effect handling personal data properly has become increasingly important. A data breach, even for seemingly minor pieces of data can prove costly. This course is designed to cover all aspects of data protection from an explanation of the legislation to its practical application at branch level. Branch reps will have to handle data in the course of their work for the union. This course is essential for all branch reps, and especially those who handle membership lists and data.

To register for Data Protection Online follow the link here.

Fórsa Induction October Wednesday 9th October

Formerly Fórsa 101, Fórsa Induction is a course designed for members new to Fórsa and not so new members who are perhaps thinking of getting involved in union activism. The course will outline the importance of participating in a union as a member, how to achieve successful outcomes in the workplace and the support available for engaging with members and representatives locally. 

Two sessions are available, the morning session runs from 9.30am to 12.00pm and an evening session runs from 18.00pm to 20.00pm.

Registration will open shortly.

Skills Academy Lunch & Learn - Stronger Together - Anti-Racism Project

For those who missed the Lunch & Learn in August the session has been uploaded to YouTube. In this latest session, the Skills Academy team are joined by Dr. David Carroll, coordinator of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ Anti-Racism Project. Dr. Carroll shared some of his extensive experience in addressing the needs of marginalised populations and talked about what is happening as part of ICTU’s Anti-Racism project.

You can watch the recording here. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

Hospital pharmacists who wish to submit their details for the Advanced Specialist Pharmacists validation exercise  have just a few weeks left to do so. The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 30th September.

In July the HSE published the long awaited Circular 016 2024, which finalised key elements of the Hospital Pharmacy Agreement after a 13-year campaign by hospital pharmacists. This big win for members would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of union members and representatives. You can read the circular here. 

The creation of the Advanced Specialist Pharmacist grade is a key part of the agreement. 

Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly urged members to avail of this hard-won opportunity. She said: “If your work is not reflected by your job title, don’t delay, you should immediately begin to apply for the validation process. Your work is essential to the delivery of safe and high-quality patient care. It took a long time to get to this point and it’s important that everyone’s work is recognised.” 

Procedural documents outlining process flows, application forms, and FAQs for the validation process of Advanced Specialist Pharmacists were sent to members by email in July. They are also available on the HSE website.

In 2011 the Review of Hospital Pharmacy (McLoughlin Report) recognised the need for a revised structure for hospital pharmacy. It was the first review undertaken since 1978, which was when the current grading structure was agreed. Since the publication of the McLoughlin report, Hospital Pharmacists have been engaged in substantial and lengthy campaign to see the outcome of that review implemented, which culminated in the Hospital Pharmacy Agreement finalised this year. 

While this agreement is a huge step forward, it has not yet been extended to include HSE  pharmacists working in non-acute settings, such as CHO areas or national services. In fact, the HSE have indicated that they will not extend the agreement to other pharmacists. This has resulted in Fórsa members working in these areas declaring a dispute and referring the matter to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).  

Linda said: “It’s simply unacceptable that the HSE thinks we would allow one group of workers to be treated completely differently from their colleagues. We have to challenge this now before we end up with a two-tier pharmacy workforce. As Pharmacists in non-acute settings are spread all around the country, we need help to make sure we know exactly how many members are impacted. Please make contact with Sheena Clarke if you are in this group, and encourage your colleagues who aren’t yet members of the union to join.” 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

Fórsa, and other unions representing members providing health and welfare services in the community and voluntary sector, are due to return to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to continue negotiations on further adjustments in funding for the sector.

Under the terms of a 2023 interim agreement, these talks are part of an engagement to agree further adjustments in funding, for organisations and their staff, that will have regard to the terms of current and future public service pay agreements. 

The link to public service pay for some members working in Section 39 (health and disability services) Section 56 (services to children), Section 10 (homeless services), was broken in 2009 following the financial crash.

WRC discussions have been taking place in recent months. However, negotiations have been challenging.

Fórsa’s head of health and welfare, Ashley Connolly, said the unions remained focused on finding a solution: “Progress remains very slow, and therefore very frustrating, not least for our members in the sector who have prevailed through some very difficult years.

Last October a planned strike by community healthcare and social care workers was put on hold after late-night negotiations secured an eight per cent pay offer. Staff in these organisations are paid far less than their counterparts doing equivalent work in the HSE. This pay inequality has led to a recruitment and retention crisis, with an average staff churn of more than 30% per annum, which is crippling the services that care for Ireland’s most vulnerable people.

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

In August we launched a petition calling on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to intervene in the HSE decision to exclude Health and Social Care Professionals from the Senior Management Team in the new HSE Health Regions. Over 8000 of you have signed the petition. 

The new Health Region structure will come into force on Tuesday 1st October 2024. The exclusion of HSCPs from senior management will have a real and significant negative impact on the development of frontline Health and Social Care Profession services within each region for years to come. 

Speaking about the decision to exclude HSCPs from senior management structure, Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly said: “For months the HSE gave us no satisfactory response when we asked why HSCPS, the second largest clinical group, have been ignored and excluded."

“Now, just this week, we have learned that they think including all disciplines “would not be conducive to a high performing function”. 

Linda continued: “How would including the second largest clinical group somehow lessen the performance of the team? Why would hearing from those providing critically important services make things worse? It’s quite simply outrageous. HSCPs deliver vital patient care and deserve respect and recognition.” 

Next week our colleagues in other unions will also share the petition with their members, a welcome move which will build further support. If you don’t agree with the HSE decision to exclude HSCPs, please sign this petition and share across all your networks. The more signatures we have the louder our message to the Minister will be. The petition is open to all. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

The final seminar in the CORU registration roadshow will take place next week on Wednesday 11th September in Fórsa’s Dublin office. 

Running since February, the CORU registration roadshow has hosted a series of in person seminars across the country. Events were held in all four major cities as well as in the smaller regional centres of Wexford, Athlone, Sligo, and Dundalk.

Like previous seminars, the final Dublin date will run from 10am to 1pm and go through all aspects of statutory regulation for Social Care Workers. From how to register during grandparenting, to understanding what the code of conduct will mean, to what CPD requirements will be in place.

Since 30th November 2023, when new legislation came into effect, all social care workers are required to register with CORU. This is in preparation for 30th November 2025, when the title ‘Social Care Worker’ will become a legally protected title in Ireland.

Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly said “It has been great to get around the country and meet our social care workers.

“With these seminars we wanted to make our members’ lives easier. With any new registration process it’s only natural that there’ll be some confusion and a few pitfalls. Members who attended the seminars will be able to avoid all that and spend more time on what really matters to them.”

To register for the final seminar fill out the form linked here.

The seminar is only open to Fórsa members. 

Chris Cully, Assistant General Secretary in the Health and Welfare Division is a well-known figure across Fórsa branches and workplaces. Following her recent retirement, it would be remiss not to mark the end of an era for Fórsa.

Chris began her journey as a trade unionist in 1983 in Richmond Hospital in Dublin, which later merged into the new Beaumont hospital. She was active locally to begin with and then went on to become a rep with the Dublin Health Services branch in 1989. From the early 2000s she became Cathaoirleach of the Dublin Hospital branch of IMPACT.

As Cathaoirleach and a member of the Health DEC, she was a key part of the negotiations surrounding the establishment of the HSE, a pivotal moment in Irish healthcare. 

She was roped into being an employee of IMPACT in 2008 and continued her work as an official after the creation of Fórsa. Her role in recent years was as Assistant General Secretary with national responsibility for members in Tusla and some of the professional groups concentrated in the children, family and social care areas. 

Paying tribute to Chris’s years of service Head of the Health & Welfare division Ashley Connolly said: “Anyone who worked with her knows she gave it her all. She started her time as a trade unionist as a young woman with a young family, but nothing was ever too much for her. She went above and beyond for her colleagues and friends.”

“Her legacy for workers’ rights speaks for itself, as does the fact that so many of you reading this will know her first-hand and will no doubt have benefited from her tireless advocacy. But we also want to celebrate her strength, friendship, and generosity of spirit.”

As noted by General Secretary Kevin Callinan at her retirement party, while we are sad to see her go, no one deserves a long and happy retirement more than Chris.

And Chris, don’t worry, “ask me sister” will live on in the canteen!

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

This year, Fórsa’s Gaeltacht Scholarship Scheme has been renamed in memory of Jerry King former President of IMPACT. From this year on, the scheme will be known as the 'Jerry King Gaeltacht Scholarship Scheme for children of Fórsa members.'

A library worker from Mayo, Jerry’s dedication to the trade union movement saw him elected as President in 2014. Ever passionate in his beliefs, he would continue to work hard for the union after his tenure ended in 2016. He was proud of the significant contribution he made to the establishment of the Education Division.

He was a firm believer in the power of education, its ability to empower personal growth and allow us to reach our potential.

Applications now open

The 'Jerry King Gaeltacht Scholarship Scheme for children of Fórsa members' is now open to applications for 2025. 

The grant scheme is open to children of Fórsa members, who are aged between 11 years and 18 years of age on 1st July 2025. Children who received a grant last year will not be eligible to receive a grant again this year. This is to ensure as many children as possible benefit from the scheme.

The scheme will provide 80 grants of €150 each to assist children of Fórsa members attending residential Irish language courses in Gaeltacht areas next summer. While a further 40 grants of €70 are will be provided to assist children to attend day-only Irish language courses held outside Gaeltacht areas.

If you wish to apply you can download the application form here.

Applications must be returned by 5pm Friday October 18th, 2024. Forms can be submitted by email to gaeltacht@forsa.ie, or by post to Fórsa Head Office to the following address: 

General Services Committee,
Gaeltacht Scheme,
Fórsa,
Nerney’s Court,
Dublin 1,
D01 R2C5

Only one application per child is permitted. Multiple applications for the same child will not be considered.

Any queries can be sent to gaeltacht@forsa.ie.

For more information visit our website.

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.

The issue of restoring tax relief on trade union subscriptions, a benefit that was removed as an austerity measure in 2011—has re-emerged as a significant point of contention between the government and the country’s trade union movement. 

Fórsa is calling on the government to reinstate this tax relief, emphasising its importance for promoting collective bargaining and supporting union members. 

The tax relief was originally provided for under Section 472C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 but was discontinued as part of austerity measures in the wake of the financial crisis. 

Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan set out why this matters to unions in a letter dated July 1, 2024, addressed to Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. 

In the letter Kevin argued that restoring the tax relief would not only reflect the government’s commitment to collective bargaining but also signal its recognition of the valuable role trade unions play in supporting workers.

“As the timeline for the transposition of the EU directive on Adequate Minimum Wages approaches, it seems to Fórsa that there is an onus on you as the line Minister to advocate for, and secure, the restoration of this tax relief in the upcoming Budget,” the letter stated. 

This EU directive, which mandates member states to promote collective bargaining with the aim of reaching 80 percent coverage, places additional pressure on the Irish government to act. Currently, only about one-third of the Irish workforce is covered by collective bargaining arrangements—a figure that falls short of the directive’s ambitions.

The removal of the tax relief in 2011 was seen as a political choice, one that disproportionately affected union members, many of whom already face significant economic pressures. The absence of this relief is now viewed by many as a glaring inequity, especially when compared to the range of tax benefits still available to professional bodies and businesses.

In a separate earlier letter sent in May of 2023 to Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, when Kevin was President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, articulated this sense of unfairness, noting that the continued denial of this relief “will send a clear message to the trade union movement regarding this government's attitude to our role in advancing the policy objectives.” 

That letter went on to criticise the government’s previous justifications for not reinstating the relief, labelling them as “spurious arguments” that no longer hold up in the current economic and social context.

One of the central criticisms being made is that the government has failed to balance its support for businesses with similar support for workers. While various tax reliefs and incentives are available to businesses and professional bodies, trade unions - which play a crucial role in protecting workers’ rights and negotiating fair wages - are not afforded the same consideration.

“The sense of grievance felt by trade union members is accentuated by the range of tax reliefs, often highly lucrative, that are available to professional bodies and businesses,” Kevin wrote. 

ICTU has made it clear that the government’s response to this issue will have significant implications for its relationship with the trade union movement going forward.  If the relief is not restored in the upcoming budget, many will see it as a failure to fully appreciate and support the work that unions do on behalf of all workers, and they can expect a backlash from members who view it as a deliberate political snub. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.