A ballot of members working as school secretaries and caretakers opened yesterday, on Thursday 1st October, and will close on Wednesday 7th October at midday.
Members are being asked whether they accept or reject a package of proposals negotiated by Fórsa at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on pay, sick leave, acute illness leave, and bereavement leave, as well as a recommendation from the Labour Court on pensions.
Encouraging members to vote, head of Fórsa’s education division Andy Pike said: “Members have one week to vote on the proposals. This has been a very long time coming, and we would not have gotten to this stage without the dedication of members and both branch committees. I want to pay tribute to all their efforts to get us to this point over many years.”
“Last year’s seven-day strike was an unprecedented effort by members, and these proposals would not be on the table without that. Ultimately, all negotiations involve compromise, and while this is not a perfect package, it is our strongly held view that it is the best deal that was available.”
In a message to members, chair of the school secretaries branch Luisa Carty paid tribute to “the incredible determination, grit, and unity” shown by members.
She said: “For so long, we fought a battle that a few years ago felt completely out of reach. There were moments when achieving a vote on real, tangible proposals for our futures felt like a distant dream. Yet here we are, holding the power to shape what happens next in our own hands.”
Emphasising the distance travelled since the campaign began, Luisa continued, saying: “While we did not achieve everything we originally set out to do, we must look at how far we have come. Where we stand today is a world away from where we started. We built nationwide strength and pushed through exhaustive negotiations to secure a level of progress that once seemed impossible. We have fought for our respect, our pay scales, our sick leave, and our right to a dignified retirement.”
Chair of the school caretakers branch, David Hearne said: “Members showed up for themselves, and for each other, on the picket last year, and have stayed committed to the campaign throughout its highs and lows. Thousands of members attended our information meetings over the past month and now it’s up to you to decide whether you accept or reject these proposals.”
Members who are eligible to vote will have received a unique voting code (UVC) from Mi-Voice, the online ballot platform. If you have not received your UVC please contact edhelp@forsa.ie.
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