Negotiations on a possible successor to the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) will resume this morning (Friday 4^th December) after a spat over the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s (DPER) handling of the talks.

Fórsa has successfully secured the re-opening of the HSE’s job evaluation scheme following its suspension at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first phase of implementation of an independent report on career pathways for health and social care professionals (HSCPs) has been boosted by the creation of 48 enhanced community care networks (ECCNs).

Fórsa and HSE management are close to completing discussions on a redeployment policy for health staff, designed to replace the policy introduced last March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The agreed national guidance on preventing the spread of Covid-19 in workplaces has been upgraded.

Unions have welcomed reports that parent’s leave will eventually be extended to nine weeks for mothers and fathers, in line with Ireland’s commitments under an EU directive.

Tens of thousands of people missed out on appointments for physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy as the health service diverted resources to the coronavirus emergency in the first half of 2020.

Dental hygienists have voted to accept a recent Labour Court recommendation, which will see the creation of 24 senior posts to be filled from within the existing complement of dental hygienists.

Members of Fórsa and Siptu this week took their campaign for pay justice in Section 39 agencies to the Cork constituency offices of the Taoiseach, DPER minister Michael McGrath and Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney.

Intensive discussions between Fórsa and management at the Oberstown youth detention campus have continued in recent weeks, with union representatives now confident that a new collective bargaining arrangement will help ensure industrial stability at Oberstown.

Fórsa and other unions have continued their engagement with the Sisters of Charity after the religious order offered a once-off, ex-gratia payment of €3,000 to “qualifying employees” as a “gesture of goodwill.”