Fórsa have secured further precedent for SNAs with a win for an SNA member who had been disciplined for refusing to complete work that was not appropriate for the 72 hours. The sanction was withdrawn by school management thanks to Fórsa’s intervention and the solidarity of members. 

The SNA had informed school management that the work, to be carried out during a parent teacher meeting, was not appropriate to an SNA’s duties. Although the SNA was willing to attend for the parent teacher meeting, she was clear that only work appropriate to the SNA grade should be carried out as part of the 72 hours during this time.

As the SNA did not complete the work as instructed, the school principal began disciplinary procedures. In line with the guidelines contained in the SNA Grievance and Disciplinary Circular she was given a sanction of “work to be monitored for 3 months.”

Fórsa IRO Dave Sexton took on the case. He said: “The problem here is that the principal was disciplining an SNA for wanting to work her nationally agreed terms and conditions of employment, which is wrong in every sense.”

He continued “If the principal was able to treat a member in this fashion it would set a bad precedent for all other SNAs in the school and give a signal to other principals that this kind of behaviour is acceptable.

“From the outset, we were clear in our message to the school management: this union will not tolerate where employers discipline our members for wanting to work to the provisions contained in nationally agreed contracts and circulars.”

In a meeting with the union members signalled their willingness to support a ballot for industrial action should the matter not be resolved locally. 

The school management entered into local engagement, where it was made clear the sanction needed to be withdrawn as a matter of urgency, and if it was not withdrawn the union would be escalating the matter further. 

Further local engagement resulted in the union achieving the withdrawal of the sanction against our SNA member, setting a strong precedent for similar cases.

Reflecting on the win, Dave Sexton said “It is highly unlikely the sanction would have been withdrawn had the SNA and their colleagues not been members of the union. It is so important that members are aware that Fórsa is here to support them where similar issues arise in the workplace, and wins are achievable for members.”

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