The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is to facilitate detailed discussions on regularising the pay, conditions and pensions of school secretaries and caretakers after Fórsa and the Department of Education and Skills agreed a ‘roadmap’ to progress the changes.

Fórsa is planning to provide face masks directly to its members working in schools where local management has failed to provide them.

School-related violence is a “serious infringement” of the right to education, as well as young peoples’ basic rights to health and wellbeing, according to President Michael D Higgins.

Fórsa and other public service unions have warned that the time available to negotiate and ratify a new public service pay agreement is running short.

Fórsa has raised concerns that more workers than necessary are being required to attend workplaces since the entire country entered level five of the Government’s Covid-19 framework two weeks ago.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has renewed calls for legislation to oblige employers to pay remote workers an allowance to cover some of the costs of working from home. ICTU also wants a review of the current €3.20-a-day rate that workers can receive tax-free.

Fórsa’s delayed 2020 national delegate conference is set to take place on a fully remote basis on 19^th November. Originally planned for last May, the event was interrupted by Covid-related public health restrictions on travel and assembly