Fórsa’s elected National Executive met earlier this week and decided overwhelmingly to recommend acceptance of the proposed new public service agreement, Building Momentum. The proposals will be put to a ballot of the union’s members early in the New Year.

If accepted, the proposed new public service agreement won’t immediately resolve the longstanding injustice of the so-called ‘Haddington Road hours.’ But it’s a major breakthrough nonetheless.

Union-negotiated protections against the outsourcing of local authority services will remain in place if the proposed new public service agreement is accepted in ballots of union members.

The cabinet has finally approved an increase in parent’s leave from two to five weeks for each parent, but says this can’t happen until April 2021 because IT systems need to be updated to make it possible.

Fórsa and Siptu have given water service employers until next Wednesday (23^rd December) to confirm that they will honour a staffing agreement linked to water leakages. 

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has agreed to raise a Fórsa request that certain local authority staff prioritised for Covid-19 vaccinations, once they are approved for use in Ireland, with the “appropriate bodies.” 

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has called on the Government to give all workers a legal right to request flexible working arrangements, including remote work. 

The Cabinet last week approved proposed amendments to the 1995 Adoptive Leave Act, which will enable married male same-sex couples to avail of adoptive leave.

Fórsa has given a guarded welcome to a Government announcement that the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes will be published in January.