The usual muck and wellies at Ratheniska were swapped for ice creams and sun lotion as the late summer sun bathed the hills of Laois. Fórsa, Ireland’s second-largest trade union and the largest representing public service workers, was among the 1,700 exhibitors at this year’s National Ploughing Championships. This marked Fórsa’s first time ever exhibiting at the event, which drew nearly a quarter of a million visitors.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said: “So many in the agricultural sector are in employment, either full-time or part-time. We need to support those workers. We're here to brief our own members. 2% of the Irish population are members of Fórsa, and we're also here to support our members who are working at the ploughing.”

Khalid El Busaidy from Fórsa’s membership team, who had been busy preparing for the event, shared his excitement about engaging with members of the farming community:

“Being here is a way of increasing our visibility in the farming community that might have people working in various government departments, especially the Department of Agriculture. 

Khalid added “It’s a way of connecting with members and making sure that they can see our visibility and also pass on the message to us. Fórsa trade union is here, and we represent their community, and, you know, their family members—many of them would be working in sectors that we represent.”

Speaking at the event Fórsa president Martin Walsh noted the importance of the union’s membership benefits saying: “We have a substantial range of benefits for our membership. We have in-service critical injury cover. We have access to cheaper car and children's health insurance and other benefits like travel and health insurance. There are many, many benefits to being in a trade union."

Fórsa senior vice president Julie Flood cracked a pun that adorned the walls of the Fórsa stand:

“We can’t protect you from the muck, but we can protect you from your boss. You're never alone when you're in a union, especially if you're with Fórsa. Fórsa always has your back. We ensure certainty, parity, accuracy, and fairness for our workers in the workplace. So we have your back. We're always there with you.”

Julie also shared her own personal journey of empowerment through the union:

“But apart from all of that, one of the biggest benefits for me from becoming an activist in Fórsa trade union was it has brought me along so much in my life personally and in my work life.

They've offered me training programs. I became part of a big family that has nurtured me to be the person that I am. I no longer fear speaking out in the workplace. I actually feel that I have a very important role in the workplace and that I need to speak out because not everyone is able to.”

Flood offered encouragement to new and prospective Fórsa members:

“My advice will always be never be afraid to stick your toe in the water. You can put your toe in, or you can stick your whole leg in. For me, I started off with very small tasks, and I loved what I saw. I loved the benefits, I loved the wins, I loved how it actually helped people, and that really empowered me to take a step further where you don't have to go."

Fórsa’s treasurer Micheal Smith spoke about the power of collective union action:

“Union membership is about more than just individual issues. Although individual issues, of course, are dealt with, it's also about the collective, such as national pay agreements and local bargaining with employers in a particular workplace, where everybody has a stake in the outcome.”

He emphasized the benefits of a strong union voice, particularly in recent national pay negotiations:

“And we can see from our recent national pay agreements, in particular, the advantage of having a strong voice at those negotiations. And our goal is to make our voice stronger because it's important that workers' voices are properly represented when our representatives in the union movement meet with government.”

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