Fórsa has secured an agreement at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on the provision of breastfeeding breaks for SNAs. The union took the case to the WRC after the discovery of a disparity in provision between teachers and SNAs. 

New official forecasts predict a strong post-Covid economic bounce in Ireland, with growth of 4.5% per cent this year and 5% in 2022.

Fórsa’s claim for a higher minimum qualification for special needs assistants (SNAs) had its first outing in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) earlier this week.

For the second term running, Fórsa’s Education Division executive committee is made up exclusively of women, with representatives elected from branches representing higher education, NETB, the school completion programme, school secretaries and special needs assistants.

Fórsa has made representations to Government on the need to ensure that staff working in exposure prone areas are given the protection of the vaccine at the earliest possible opportunity.

Ireland’s national minimum wage could be replaced by a superior ‘living wage’ once the Low Pay Commission produces a report on the issue later this year. A living wage, defined as the minimum necessary for a single full-time worker to meet their basic needs, is currently estimated at €12.30 an hour. That’s 20% more than the current statutory minimum wage of €10.20.

Almost 90% of workers aged over 55 believe they suffered age discrimination when looking for jobs. More than a third of respondents to a new survey also said employers considered them too old for sectors such as IT.

Discussions aimed at agreeing an ‘action plan’ for education sector reforms are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. The action plan will outline measures to be implemented under the reform provisions of the new public service agreement, Building Momentum.

Fórsa president Michael Smyth is organising a mental health webinar for members, which will focus on building resilience. The one-hour virtual event takes place at 7.00pm on Thursday 6th May.

The issue of period poverty is back in the headlines after supermarket chain Lidl this week announced it is to make period products free in its stores across the country.

Ireland’s minimum wage workers are likely to have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic compared to their European counterparts, according to new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) research.