Fórsa will meet education department officials next Thursday (13^th May) to review a fresh set of proposals on the regularisation of employment for school secretaries and caretakers. This follows a further session in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Friday 14^th May.

A Department of Justice review group is currently considering a new mandatory system of re-vetting people working with children. The proposed system would oblige schools and other employers to make a new application three years after the original vetting process had been carried out.

This week saw the formal establishment of the body charged with making recommendations to begin the process of addressing the additional working hours introduced for many civil and public servants under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement.

Higher education minister Simon Harris granted technological university (TU) status to Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology earlier this week.

Public service clerical and administrative staff will receive a 1% pay increase on 1^st February 2022 after Fórsa’s National Executive opted for a straight 1% pay round under the sectoral bargaining clause of the Building Momentum agreement.

A Fórsa activist has been appointed to represent professional, management and support staff on the governing body of one of the recently-formed technological universities (TUs). Peter Somers has been elected to the Munster TU governing body, while Maggie Ryan has been nominated by the professional management and support group of unions to run for election to the TU Dublin board. That election is due to take place in mid-May.

Fórsa has again added its weight to calls for a legal right for employees to request remote working. 

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has written to Irish MEPs to seek their support in getting life-saving Covid-19 vaccines to struggling countries in the developing world.