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 is seeking urgent HSE measures to address the growth in Covid-19 infections among health staff as the number rose to over 9,225 at the start of last month. Around 30% of these are staff in grades represented by Fórsa.

Fórsa is to ballot clerical and administrative grades (III to VI) in the child and family agency, Tusla, following the agency’s scrapping of an agreed job evaluation scheme for these grades.

Fórsa is continuing to engage with management in environmental health services about the Covid-19 contact-tracing work undertaken by environmental health officers (EHOs).

Fórsa has sought an engagement with the HSE’s internal audit division to discuss a range of issues of concern emerging for members.

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