Conference business on Thursday began with delegates expressing unequivocal support for the NEC motion on pay, living standards and public service negotiations.

The motion, proposed by vice president Tara Horigan, set out the union’s position ahead of negotiations on a successor to the current public service agreement, which expires at the end of June.

Proposing the motion, Tara told delegates that the debate on pay comes against a backdrop of growing economic uncertainty internationally, which has increased the significant financial pressures faced by members arising from rising grocery and energy bills, fuel and commuting expenses, and wider cost-of-living challenges, as headline inflation has increased in recent months.

The motion outlined the union’s strategy for the pay talks noting hat if a negotiated multi-annual agreement cannot be achieved, the union should seek an immediate pay round, pursue local bargaining claims independently, and ballot members for industrial action where necessary.

Tara said Fórsa’s objective remained serious engagement aimed at delivering a deal that members can vote for: “That’s the single most important objective for the union, while maintaining stability during a period of significant economic uncertainty.”

She also said the next agreement would need to engage with wider “common-good issues” affecting workers and public services, including housing affordability, commuting costs, remote and flexible working arrangements, and the long-term sustainability of public services.

She added: “The housing crisis threatens to undermine decades of social and economic progress. It is now directly affecting recruitment and retention right across the public service. We need to confront that and negotiate solutions that will work.

“Rising living costs, childcare costs and the daily cost of getting to and from work are placing real pressure on working households. If we are serious about maintaining strong public services, then those realities must form part of the conversation,” she said.

The motion underscores Fórsa’s “A Better Deal” campaign, which has attracted more than 45,000 member pledges, calling for pay improvements alongside progress on housing, healthcare investment, local bargaining claims and flexible working arrangements.
In a range of motions proposed by delegates throughout the day it was abundantly clear that improvement in working conditions are to the fore of members concerns.

Jennifer Doyle from the Marine New branch spoke on Motion 17 which called for templates and a toolbox to develop more equality among how public sector employers implement flexible working policies. She said: “Organisations have vastly different policies for flexible working, why should access depend on what employer you work on? It’s unfair, destabilising and completely unnecessary."

Motion 73 was put forward by the Higher Education branch and called for the NEC to campaign for changes to be made to circulars on bereavement leave, which it contended, unfairly discriminate on grounds of marital status. 

Caitriona McElhinny from the Donegal Local Government branch proposed Motion 76 seeking enhanced employer- funded mental health supports, saying “Mental health isn’t a side issue, it affects attendance, morale and the quality of public services we all rely on. Staffing levels are tight and workloads keep growing. The expectation is always there to do more with less.”

A range of motions called for the union to intensify its work for a shorter working week, while the risks of excessive workplace surveillance were also highlighted.

Speaking on this issue Amy Hibbets, from the Probation Officers branch said: “Technology should support workers and not be used for micro-management. Quality of outcome cannot always be measured in output metrics. Workers perform best when they are respected and supported, excessive monitoring creates fear and anxiety.”