Fórsa has welcomed a decision by the Department of Justice to undertake a review of the psychological risk exposure for frontline workers in the Department, carried out by the health and safety unit.
Fórsa has welcomed a decision by the Department of Justice to undertake a review of the psychological risk exposure for frontline workers in the Department, carried out by the health and safety unit. Civil service workers in certain sections of the Department of Justice may encounter traumatic materials and circumstances in the normal course of their work.
Fórsa official Seán Carabini explained that there are some roles that require staff to be exposed to traumatic materials, and the union has long called for supports to be implemented for workers.
“We have members working in International Protection, in the Coroner’s Court, Forensic Science Ireland and in many other places within the Department where engagement with traumatic materials cannot be avoided. While we recognise this is unavoidable, we have long called for proper supports to be put in place for people who must encounter such material,” he said.
Last year Fórsa ran a limited survey of members who work in such areas to understand the nature of the material that they encounter, and to ask about the support mechanisms to which they have access.
“About two thirds of the respondents didn’t believe the existing supports were sufficient and approximately a third stated that they had to seek private support. We know and believe that the State can do better,” he said.
Fórsa brought the results of the union survey to the attention of the Department last year and has since offered to provide support to this new review should it be required.
“We also suggested some possible tools that could be of use to the Department including the excellent new Psychosocial Risk Evaluation tool published by the Health and Safety Authority. We are glad to see that there is progress on this, and that the Department has established this review.”
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Fórsa has nearly doubled the number of new members to join in any comparative period in the past decade.
In any organisation, certain phrases and soundbites become woven into the fabric of everyday life. One such refrain in Fórsa is how important it is to recruit new members. Well, there’s cause for celebration as Fórsa’s membership figure has surged to 85,000 over the past year.
Fórsa has nearly doubled the number of new members to join in any comparative period in the past decade. Seán McElhinney, Fórsa’s Director of Membership, attributes the surge to various material factors such as the broader economic conditions, youth migration, housing and living costs, and workplace issues. He leans into simple everyday anecdotes to explain it.
“Brennan's bread is now €2 a loaf and 450 grams of Kerrygold butter is now over €4. So people are finding it harder to get by. And when it comes to fighting for better pay and fighting for a change in our society, it's the trade union movement, and Fórsa in particular are the ones fighting for it,” he said.
Seán paints a vivid picture of a union with a diverse membership base, that defies stereotypes of an aging male workforce. "Three quarters of all our members are female and a quarter are male," he reveals.
"Most of our members are under the age of 40. The median age of a formal member is 39, mirroring the median age of someone in Irish society, which I believe is about 38. So, we're reflective of society. We're particularly representative of women workers. And when we secure pay rises, we're changing things for the better in Ireland."
With a pay ballot now underway, Seán gives some details on Fórsa’s pioneering work in digitally mobilising its members to participate in union democracy. During Covid, the union hosted the first ever online industrial action ballot inn Ireland for more than 69k workers with 58% turn out taking part.
“But just two years later, we were able to improve our level of participation to more than two thirds of our whole membership. More than 67% of our members voted in the next online industrial ballot which was the Building Momentum ballot in 2022. This year, in 2024, we want to see that improve again.”
Behind the membership growth is a very committed team. Seán is quick to celebrate how their unwavering personal commitment to social justice and their work as engine drivers of Fórsa's mission to grow. Painstakingly, the team makes the effort to personally chat to every new member. With nearly 11,000 joining last year, that’s a tireless task.
“They understand the profound connection between their efforts and the transformative change sought by the organisation. The team see a very real link between the work that they do and that change. Positioned at the forefront of every new member's journey, they ensure a warm welcome and personalised guidance. This personal touch not only fosters a sense of belonging but also empowers members by clarifying their role within the union,” he says.
He sees opportunities, particularly in the ongoing pay ballot to further bolster membership and drive positive change. He encourages members and activists to engage with those in their circles and ask them to join the union.
“It's about getting our activists and officers and reps involved in workplaces and our around our branches talking to people about the issue of pay, talking to people about their economic circumstances, and about the change that Fórsa can affect provided we have the power and to have the power we need the people and membership,” he says.
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has criticised last week’s veto - by a minority of EU states – against an agreement to provide improved protections for workers forced into bogus self-employment.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has criticised last week’s veto - by a minority of EU states – against an agreement to provide improved protections for workers forced into bogus self-employment.
The ETUC said the veto by France, Germany, Greece and Estonia is a major blow to millions of workers, including delivery riders, carers, taxi drivers and others working in Europe’s ‘gig’ economy.
It marks the failure of a second attempt to establish the Platform Work Directive, which would have effected major change across Europe’s gig economy.
The ETUC said the 23 countries that voted in favour should not delay, but instead “should work with trade unions and take action at national level to end the scandal of bogus self-employment.”
In a statement, the ETUC said the European Commission must follow through on its responsibilities and “ensure that all workers, including platform workers, are protected under EU employment law.”
Responding to last week’s development, ETUC Confederal Secretary Ludovic Voet said the failure to deliver on the promised platform work directive doesn’t postpone the urgency of the need for action and criticised the governments “with well-documented links to platform lobbyists” who had vetoed the directive.
In its newsletter this week the European Public Services Union (EPSU) said corporate Europe had lobbied hard to get this result “with the Uber transport platform in particular exploiting its links with the Macron government in France. It has also emerged that lead advisor of the German liberal FDP, part of the government coalition, was a lobbyist for a delivery platform.”
The four states involved had refused to support a revised directive which had toned down the legal presumption of an employment relationship, which has been described as the most contentious part of the directive.
Mr Voet criticised the “millionaire tech bros” whose “exploitative” business model had been protected by the veto and said they “shouldn’t celebrate too long”.
He added: “Any platform lobby claiming this directive will lead to massive reclassification of genuine self-employed was protecting their profits.
“Implementing the presumption of employment relationship, and the reversal of burden of proof at national level, is more urgent than ever,” he said.
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
This week Fórsa held a series of online information meetings to explain Public Service Agreement 2024 -2026 to members. A full video of the meeting is now available.
This week Fórsa held a series of online information meetings to explain Public Service Agreement 2024 -2026 to members.
The session for Civil Service Division members took place on Tuesday 20th February and featured Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan, Head of Civil Service Division Éamonn Donnelly, and was moderated by Assistant General Secretary Una Faulkner. Director of Membership Sean McElhinney also took attendees through the balloting process.
A full video of the meeting is now available here. If you have any questions that were not covered in the video please email: cshelp@forsa.ie.
You can find more information on the agreement by visiting our regularly updated FAQs on our website, and a list of branch and regional meetings can be found here.
By now you should have received your Unique Voter Code. If you haven't received it please contact: cshelp@forsa.ie. Balloting closes Friday 15th March at 12 noon, and on Monday 25th March the ICTU Public Service Committee (PSC) will meet to aggregate the vote.
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
The union’s ballot on the Public Service Agreement 2024 – 2026 opened on Monday 19th February. Over 72,000 members are eligible to vote in the online ballot.
The union’s ballot on the Public Service Agreement 2024 – 2026 opened on Monday 19th February. Over 72,000 members are eligible to vote in the online ballot.
Early turnout figures indicate a strong interest by members in having their say on the agreement, as over 30,000 members have already cast their vote.
Ahead of the ballot opening Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan wrote to all members. You can read that letter here.
By now you should have received your Unique Voter Code so that you can cast your vote on the Mi-Voice platform. If you have not received the code you should contact your divisional helpdesk.
Information meetings are underway across all divisions, in workplaces and online. This week Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan hosted online information meetings for members which are available to watch on our YouTube channel. You can find a list of upcoming information meetings here.
Don’t forget we have a hub of ballot resources for union members and activists. The aim of these resources is to help you inform yourself about the agreement before you cast your vote.
We have also produced a 'Plain English' Guide to the Agreement, which you can download here. For more information on Plain English visit the website of the National Adult Literacy Service www.nala.ie.
The Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Wahba Abdalmajid will address delegates at Fórsa's International Spring School, taking place next Friday and Saturday (1st and 2nd March). She will discuss the ongoing war on Palestine and continued bombardment of Gaza, with the death toll now at almost 30,000 people killed.
The school will provide a unique opportunity for interested members to learn about and discuss a range of international, trade union and human rights issues.
Delegates will also hear from Luis Monje from Public Services International, and UNICEF’s Peter Power, who will explore projects and initiatives part-funded by Fórsa through its developing world fund. In addition, European experts Dr Bridget Laffan, Alex White, and EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan will also take centre stage to discuss Europe and the emerging trends ahead of elections later this year.
On Saturday delegates will learn from Niamh McDonnell of the Hope and Courage Collective, and The Institute of Strategic Dialogue’s Ciarán O’Connor about the rise of the far right in Ireland, while Fórsa’s Liz Fay will discuss the recent far right attacks on libraries across the country.
Closing out the day, legal director at the ITUC Paapa Danquah will join Hatice Pantir Yilan from Liman-İş Union and the GMB’s Ferdousara Uddin, exploring the fight for trade union freedom.
Fórsa national secretary Richy Carrothers said he was encouraged by the response to the school to date.
“Solidarity, both at home and internationally, is a cornerstone and fundamental to what we stand for in Fórsa. The school is a key event in the union calendar and one we work hard to deliver. This year is no exception, we have seen unprecedented demand to attend. We have fantastic speakers and excellent activists who will make this weekend engaging, informative,” he said.
There are limited number places still available, and members interested in participating should speak to their branch and register their interest here.
Fórsa is calling on members to join us at the Stand Together anti-racism demonstration Saturday 2nd March in Dublin. Stand Together will be the second major Le Chéile anti-racism demonstration following on from last year’s Ireland For All rally.
The march is due to start at 1:30pm. Members can collect flags and banners from Fórsa’s head office at Nerney’s Court from 12.30pm, and we will assemble outside the Hugh Lane gallery from 1:15pm onwards.
Last year’s march saw 50,000 people from all over Ireland standing in solidarity to celebrate diversity and say ‘no’ to discrimination and hate. We hope to see another strong showing from Fórsa members this year.
If you would like to assist on the day, please get in touch with the campaigns unit by emailing campaigns@forsa.ie and if you are unable to attend you can post on social media with the hashtags #DiversityNotDivision #RefugeesWelcome #LeChéileDND #NoToRacism.
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
A number of upcoming courses for our members are currently accepting applications. Whether you are a new member or a workplace rep there is a training for you.
This training is for newly elected branch chairpersons and secretaries. It will cover their role and responsibilities, and give participants an opportunity to develop their skills. Topics will include setting an agenda, engaging with members, chairing a meeting, and organising an inclusive and effective meeting.
If you are a workplace rep and you have already completed the Foundational Workplace Representatives Programme, or you have 4+ years’ experience in your representative role, then this is the course for you. This 2-day course focuses on organising and industrial relations.
The full calendar of training throughout 2024 is available here.
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
An event to mark two years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine takes place this afternoon (Friday) at the Russian Embassy in Dublin. The event, which takes place between 3 and 4pm, has been organised by a group of activists, including a retired member of Fórsa, who have continued to hold a peaceful protest at the embassy since the February 2022 invasion.
John Farrelly retired from the CDETB a couple of years ago and was an active member of the union. He is one of around 50 regular protesters that have, since the invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, gathered daily outside the Russian Embassy in Dublin.
He explained: “As part of our ongoing protest we are organising this event to mark two years of Russian invasion, two years of Russia’s full scale war, and two years of peaceful protest at the embassy on Orwell Road,” he said.
The one-hour event starts at 3pm. John said friends, family and supporters will gather to remember those who have been killed in Ukraine by Russian president Vladimir Putin’s regime, including Pierre Zakrewski, Rory Mason, Finbar Cafferkey and Graham Dale.
“As the illegal invasion of Ukraine continues, we wanted to give people the opportunity to reflect, to remember the thousands of innocent civilians killed, injured and displaced by this war, in a spirit of solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” he said.
John says the group of protesters who gather at the Russian embassy is a very diverse group of individuals: “The unifying force for us as a group is a fierce determination to oppose the criminal invasion of Ukraine by Putin and his regime.”
There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.
