Ireland’s civil and public service unions are working on a joint submission to the body set up to address the additional working time introduced for many civil servants under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement.

The independent chair of the body, which was established under the Building Momentum agreement and met for the first time last week, has set a deadline of 11^th June for the receipt of union and management submissions. Oral submissions will be heard on 30^th June.

Though challenging, Fórsa believes this timetable will enable the body to conduct its own deliberations in time to meet the deadline of making recommendations by the end of this year.

The initial implementation of the body’s recommendations is set to commence in 2022, with €150 million set aside for this purpose. This means working time will start to be reduced for the grades concerned from next year.

The Haddington Road hours were introduced for low and middle-income civil servants to avoid a further pay cut during the last financial crisis. Higher-paid staff incurred a third, but temporary, pay cut instead. That pay cut has since been fully restored.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has argued that it’s unfair to deny restoration to lower paid staff, when their better-paid colleagues have experienced full restoration.

Earlier this month, the Government formally announced that the body would be chaired by former WRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey.

The ICTU Public Services Committee, which represents most civil and public service unions, has nominated former IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone and former INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) general secretary Liam Doran to the body.

This is because Fórsa and the INMO represent the largest number of civil and public servants affected by the introduction of additional working hours in 2013.

DPER is has nominated two retired senior civil servants to the body, and there are also two independent Government nominees with backgrounds in mediation, personnel management and industrial relations.

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The civil service action plan, which outlines reforms set out in the Building Momentum agreement, has been finalised. The plan has been circulated to Fórsa’s civil service branches, and briefings are planned after next week’s divisional conference.

The key actions in the plan are set out under four priorities:

• Improving access to services and increased flexibility in resourcing models to deliver better services
• The potential for technology to transform service delivery
• Flexibility and strengthening capacity
• Business, operational and policy changes leading to internal efficiencies.

The agreement explicitly references the unprecedented display of commitment, flexibility, hard work and agility in service provision across the civil and public service during the pandemic, and reflects a commitment by the parties to harness this momentum for change to meet the immediate challenges that present in the lifetime of the agreement, and to prepare for future challenges.

The action plan says existing consultation processes will be used to discuss any proposed revisions to flexible working arrangements. Any amendments must take account of the current agreement on flexible working, as well as blended working policies across the civil service.

The question of reconfiguring office space, designated workstations, single occupancy offices, and working towards more agile open plan offices will be related to blended working policies.

There is also an understanding that temporary assignments for Covid-19 priorities will continue, but further consultation is required if management want to extend the scheme for non-Covid purposes.

Fórsa also won agreement that an extension of the mobility scheme to professional, technical and service grades will be considered. And the plan also references the recently-agreed secondment plan for the civil service.

Although challenges lay ahead under the plan’s digital and automation proposals, the union reached agreement on language to ensure continued consultation, which references staff upskilling and retraining as on automation impacts on jobs, roles and work processes. This presents a chance to improve career opportunities for all staff.

The parties will also engage on amending opening arrangements with a view to providing optimal service to customers. This will take account of the growth in online services, and will be subject to consultation with Fórsa.                                                                                          

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Fórsa has called for workplace supports for sufferers of domestic violence and abuse, including paid leave and flexible working arrangements.

Addressing the union’s Services and Enterprises Division conference last week, head of division Ashley Connolly called on the Government to develop a formal domestic violence scheme. She urged employers to work with unions to ensure that provisions are in place for those who suffer domestic abuse.

“We’re calling for the development of workplace policies to ensure these supports are in place. Workers should feel supported and should not face losing their jobs or pay because of domestic abuse,” she said.

Victims of domestic abuse and violence very often need to take time off to access legal or financial support, and during the working day can be the only safe time to do this.

“We know that the effects of domestic abuse spills over into the workplace and I can tell you, from some of the cases I have worked on, when an employer provides a supportive workplace this can make a real difference to those suffering domestic abuse and violence. The right to paid time off from work to access this support, will make a real difference to women’s lives,”she said.

Since the onset of Covid-19, Irish domestic violence services have reported a sharp increase in the number of women and children seeking support, and globally there is a rise in reports of domestic violence against women. Many are being forced to isolate at home with their abusers, at the same time that domestic violence services are being disrupted.

Unions want Government action, and the provision of appropriate resources, to prioritise the safety of women and children as Ireland emerges from the Covid-19 crisis.

“This can’t become a protracted process. What’s needed now is a process that involves all stakeholders. We call on Government to commence engagement of designing this scheme as a matter of urgency,” she said.

For more information on domestic violence click HERE.

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Civil service overtime rates that were abolished, adjusted or reduced under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement are to be fully restored from 1^st July.

The restoration, which implements a commitment in the Building Momentum agreement, will see the abolition of the hour of unpaid overtime introduced under the HRA. This doesn’t include the standard arrangement for the first hour of overtime by HEOs and AOs, as this pre-dates the HRA.

The details are set out in a new civil service circular, which issued this week. It applies to general civil servants up to HEO and AO level.

Read the circular HERE. 

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Remote working, flexitime, career progression, outsourcing and the Haddington Road hours are set to be big issues at Fórsa’s biennial civil service conference, which takes place next Friday (28^th May).

Representatives from all Fórsa civil branches will attend the conference, where union policy is set for the next two years. It will take place on a virtual basis so that the union can comply with continuing Covid-related public health restrictions.

The conference will also hear from Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan and the head of the union’s civil service division, Derek Mullen.

The proceedings will be live-streamed through Fórsa’s YouTube account and full reports of the conference will be carried in the next issue of this bulletin.

Watch the event via Youtube by clicking HERE. 

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Over 95% of workers now favour some form of remote working according to the second annual national remote working survey, conducted by NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission.

Like other surveys, including the one conducted by Fórsa last summer, it found that most workers preferred to spend some time at home and some in the office. The most popular option was working at home for three days a week.

The number of workers who want to work remotely all the time has almost tripled, and now stands at almost a third. Meanwhile, just 4.5% say they don’t want any form of remote work – down from 16% a year ago.

Just 12% of managers said remote work had reduced productivity, while 51% of employees said they were working more hours remotely than on-site. Most managers (47%) say there’s no difference in managing remote and workplace-based staff, while 44% say it’s more difficult.

When quizzed on their plans for post-pandemic work arrangements, three-quarters of employers said they’d made no firm decisions. But almost four-fifths of those who have decided say they will operate a hybrid model – mostly with staff on-site for two or three days a week.

The researchers surveyed 6,400 public and private sector workers, and 2,100 managers.

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The Government has revised official Covid work safely guidance on ventilation, vaccinations and antigen testing following consultation with unions and employers. The new advice reflects the most up-to-date public health advice for the workplace, setting out the range of measures required to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including information on how to approach the use of antigen testing.

The work safely protocol revises the Return to Work Safely Protocol – first published in May 2020 – drawing on the latest National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and health department advice on controlling the virus.

The protocol was originally developed following the insistence of Fórsa and other unions that the safety of workers and the people they serve must be protected as staff returned to workplaces after the first lockdown. Fórsa subsequently won commitments that the protocol would apply in the civil and public service, and to staff who have attended workplaces throughout the pandemic.

The revised advice says the best way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in a workplace is to practice physical distancing, adopt proper hand hygiene, follow respiratory etiquette and increase ventilation.

The protocol also emphasises the need for effective communication and a shared collaborative approach between employers and workers, and says employers are required to keep their Covid-19 response plans up to date.

The document provides information on how to use antigen testing appropriately in the workplace, and advises that it should only be used as an additional health and safety measure, and not as a substitute for any other precautions.

The revised protocol also provides a range of examples and reminders on the importance of ventilation. Employers are advised to consider how they can improve ventilation in workplaces, including simple actions like airing rooms and keeping windows open. 

Vaccinations

As rollout of the national vaccine programme continues, the protocol says the decision to get a vaccination is voluntary. However, employers are required to review their risk assessment in cases where workers choose not to be vaccinated.

If it’s deemed that an unvaccinated worker is not safe to perform certain work tasks, the employer may have no option but to redeploy them to other work.

But any such decision would need to be agreed between the employer and a medical practitioner in consultation with the worker.

The full Work Safely Protocol document is available HERE. 

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Fórsa has written to the chief executives of all local authorities in Ireland to ask them to engage with four-day week pilot programmes. The initiative is the latest move in the union’s campaign for reduced working time without loss of pay or productivity.

Last week, the union’s local government and local services conference heard from Andrew Barnes, Chief Executive of New Zealand firm Perpetual Guardian. He said his company had doubled per capita productivity and halved sick leave rates since it adopted a four-day week in 2018.

He added that the policy had helped Perpetual Guardian maintain productivity and profitability during the Covid lockdown.

Fórsa is part of a coalition of employers, unions, environmental and women’s campaign groups, which is calling for a gradual, steady and managed transition to a shorter working week in all sectors of the economy.

Fórsa campaign director Joe O’Connor said the union hoped to involve public and private sector employers in a national four-day week pilot programme, which is currently in the late stages of development. Later this month, it will meet Tánaiste Leo Varadkar to pitch for Government support for the initiative.

Earlier this year the Spanish Government passed legislation to support employers moving to a four-day week. 

Last year, Fórsa published Ireland’s first ever public opinion poll on the four-day week. Three-quarters of respondents were said they supported a Government exploration of its introduction, while almost half of Irish employers said it would be feasible to trial a four-day week in their own workplace.

Mr O’Connor said the four-day week, with no loss of pay or productivity, offered the potential of a genuinely better future for workers, employers and the enviornment. “The strong support for a four-day working week among Irish people is consistent with similar studies internationally. What may once have seemed like a radical concept is now, for many, a reasonable and rational ambition,” he said.

Peter Nolan, who heads Fórsa’ Local Government Division, said local authorities were highly suitable for four-day week trials. “Local government has a diverse workforce and produces a range of services that are highly valued by communities. It would be great to have the sector involved in a pilot exercise which benefits workers while maintaining, or even increasing, productivity,” he said.

Following the successful introduction of the four-day week in his company, Andrew Barnes established the ‘4-Day Week Global’ foundation to support businesses and campaigners.

“This is the model for employment in the 21st century. Thousands of companies worldwide, including household names like Microsoft and Unilever, have followed our lead and experimented with the four-day week.

“It’s an issue facing workers all the way across the world, regardless of country and regardless of culture, because there’s a mismatch between the amount of time we spend working and the amount of time we spend with our families and communities,” he said.

Mr Barnes said the Covid experience of a rapid shift to remote working had boosted the case for the four-day week by removing “a barrier of trust” regarding time management and productivity.

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Fórsa has welcomed the publication of a National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) bulletin, which says Ireland could experience a productivity boost if remote working is embraced and well-managed at national and organisational levels.

The NCPP says enterprises could benefit from remote working arrangements by gaining access to a broader pool of talent, promoting retention, and improving cost-effectiveness while engaging in more sustainable ways of working.

Citing both opportunities and challenges for employers, it references a number of studies that identify the potential for increasing productivity through remote or ‘blended’ working.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, who is also a member of the NCPC, said the union supported State plans for a legal right for employees to request remote working. And he called on the Government show a lead by negotiating comprehensive guidelines on remote working for application across the civil and public service.

“The Covid experience has removed a ‘trust’ barrier to remote working because studies show it’s delivered stable or improved productivity, while generally working for staff too. Remote and blended working will continue to be a major feature of work organisation across the globe.

“Nations and businesses that fail to embrace it will be left behind in the race for talent and investment. Ireland needs to be at the forefront and, as Ireland’s largest single employer, our Government must give a lead while continuing to support workers and businesses in the transition,” he said.

Last month, Kevin wrote to public expenditure minister Michael McGrath seeking engagement with Fórsa on its claim designed “to reach agreement on a clear and consistent public service approach to remote working, based on principles of fair access, adequate employee protections, and robust measures to underpin continued public service quality and productivity.” 

The union wants discussions to take place under the auspices of the new public service agreement, Building Momentum, which commits management and unions to establish the public service as a “driver of best practice” on remote work.

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Fórsa and other Irish trade unions extended support and solidarity to Palestine's general strike on (18th May) in protest of the Israeli armed forces’ continued deadly attacks on Gaza.

In a video message, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan threw the union’s weight behind an international day of action against the attacks. “Everyone at Fórsa sends a message of support and solidarity to the Palestinian people,” he said.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) had met with Palestine ambassador to Ireland, Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the previous Friday. ICTU general secretary Patricia King expressed condolences to the ambassador, and the people of Palestine, on the tragic loss of life following the disproportionate assault on Gaza by Israeli military forces this week.

She said it was heart-breaking to see Palestinian families being thrown out of their homes to make way for Israeli settlers, and that the “unjust and illegal” occupation of Palestine and annexation of Palestinian land was the root cause of this “ongoing human tragedy.”

Fórsa also condemned the recent events in occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza, and expressed the union’s deepest condolences for those – including children –tragically have died in the escalated violence.

Kevin Callinan said the international community must play its part in increasing pressure on Israel to end the blatant violation of human rights. He said the Israeli state must “be held to account for its actions, and the ongoing refusal to abide by international law.”

Fórsa supports the boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement to end Israel’s illegal occupation and oppression of Palestine.

“We in the Irish trade union movement join those international voices calling for an immediate cessation of the aggression and violence and for Israel to comply with international law,” said Kevin.

Today in Jerusalem and across Palestine, workers are observing a general strike to protest against Israel’s repression and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

Fórsa official Richy Carrothers, who chairs Trade Union Friends of Palestine, said: “As Israel unleashes further indiscriminate air and ground attacks on defenceless innocent people across Gaza and the West Bank, the international community should no longer avert their eyes or engage in hand-wringing diplomacy. We need action today. Israel must be held accountable for their actions and the slaughter and ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”

Richy said the BDS campaign was a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.

“Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinians and denying refugees the right to return home. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, BDS urges action to pressure Israel to comply with international law. We should all join the fight for Palestinian justice and liberation. BDS presents our best opportunity to show our solidarity,” he said.

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Fórsa is supporting plans for the regeneration of Dublin’s Moore Street area, and has called on its members to do the same. The plan, commissioned by the Moore Street Trust, aims to develop the zone as a 1916 historic cultural quarter in the heart of the capital, while maintaining its longstanding trading traditions.

The street was also where the 1916 leaders met for the final time after the Rising and decided to surrender. But despite its significant historical importance, the area has experienced dereliction, neglect and poor planning in recent decades.

State-owned buildings at 14-17 Moore Street are designated national monuments under a 1930 law, meaning their preservation is deemed a matter of national importance. 

The proposed regeneration scheme combines a mix of housing, retail and heritage elements, which would sit alongside cultural venues and the 1916 revolution trail.

All of the existing period buildings within the site would be refurbished, including those within the 1916 terrace, and 16-17 Moore Street are to be a national monument with an interpretive centre at the rear.

You can email your support to moorestpreservationtrust@gmail.com .

The Moore Street Trust hopes that regeneration plans will become a major heritage project, and will reverse decades of neglect and provide future regeneration to the north side of the city.

You can find more information on the regeneration project HERE.  

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Fórsa’s general secretary Kevin Callinan and deputy general secretary Eoin Ronayne have written to foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney to express concern at the extreme level of State violence currently taking place in Colombia.

They called on the Government to make every effort to protect human rights and end the bloodshed. Their letter also urges the minister to publicly denounce the violence and call for those responsible to be held to account.

The letter welcomes the initiations of dialogue between the National Strike Committee and the Colombian President and asks that representations be made to ensure these negotiations are meaningful and engage with all sectors involved in recent protests.

“We also call for diplomatic efforts to encourage urgent police reform, specifically for the police force to be moved from the Ministry of Defence to become a civilian force suitable for a context of the ongoing peace process,” it states.

Kevin and Eoin welcomed a recent meeting with the department, and said they looked forward to further correspondence with it on the points they raised in the letter.

Union representatives are also due to meet the Colombian ambassador to Ireland next week to discuss their concerns.

Trade unions in Colombia led national strikes in April. Since the latest round of trade union-led national strike mobilisations were initiated, Colombian state forces have committed human rights abuses on a massive scale.

The United Nations and the European Union, as well as governments of many countries have spoken out against the police violence.

Reports from national human rights organisations reveal state forces have killed at least 24 people – 11 at the hands of the police – and left numerous others with permanent injuries. A concerning number of people reported missing.

There are also several reports of sexual violence committed against detainees, while human rights observers and journalists have also been attacked.

While initial protests were organised by the National Strike Committee formed of trade unions and social organisations, significant elements of the protests have been maintained by people not formally represented in this grouping. Young people from poor urban neighbourhoods have been particularly involved.

The National Strike Committee has begun talks with the Colombian government emphasising the need for such groups to be included in talks. On 10 May, the National Strike Committee and the government met to discuss demands including a withdrawal of regressive social reforms, an end to police violence and the initiation of meaningful negotiations. On 16^th May, there was a second session with a single demand for the end of police violence before negotiations could begin.

The Justice for Colombia campaign calls for Governments and organisations to unequivocally and publicly condemn the violence of the Colombian police and the government’s attempted smears undermining the right to protest, and calls for police reform.

Read the letter to Minister Coveney HERE.

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Fórsa’s national executive committee (NEC) has triggered an operational review of the union, and its progress in its first three years, as required under the instrument of amalgamation that formed the new union in January 2018. 

The process will explore a range of factors that contribute to union strength, influence, organisation and activity, including progress on negotiating and industrial priorities, supports to branches and activists, campaigning, and member engagement and empowerment.

The review will make comparisons between the pre- and post-amalgamation performance, while also identifying areas that require improvement or a renewed focus. This will encompass any improvements that were expected to arise from the merger, but which have yet to be realised.

The review will be overseen by the union officers and NEC, and a senior member of staff has been allocated lead responsibility for the project. Fórsa branches are to be invited to input into the process.

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Young adults were hardest hit by job losses in 2020 according to new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). This was partly because they are more likely to work in sectors like hospitality, arts and leisure, which were most impacted by Covid-19 public health measures.

The report also found that the negative effects of high and sustained youth unemployment persist in later life.

It adds that Covid-related patterns of job losses are likely to compound the lingering effects of the 2008-2011 financial crash, which left many more 20 to 24 year olds out of work, education or training on the eve of the pandemic.

The report says a growing share of young adults are facing high housing costs, while home ownership rates for young adults have collapsed, leaving them more exposed to rapidly-rising rents.

The researchers said the combined effect of these developments is “to cast a pall” over the prospects of young adults.

The research, funded by the Community Foundation for Ireland, also found low rates of employment to be closely related to the risk of poverty and deprivation in other working-age households.

Despite making up only 11% of the population in 2019, those aged under 65 living in a household without anyone in paid work made up more than half of those below the poverty line, and a third of those living in material deprivation.

ESRI economist Barra Roantree, who described the findings as “a cause of serious concern,” said the greatest labour market impact of the pandemic is being felt by younger workers, even though the most serious medical impacts have been on older people.

"To minimise the potential scarring effect on young adults, policymakers should ramp up capacity on high-quality training programmes in the months ahead. Policies that act to tackle the root causes of high rents will also disproportionately benefit younger adults who risk otherwise being left behind," he said.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for greater overall public spending on Ireland’s social and physical infrastructures, in order to ensure sustained growth as the Irish economy recovers from the pandemic.

It said increased public spending is also required to tackle the shortage of affordable housing.

The recommendation was among the IMF’s preliminary findings after an official staff mission to Ireland, which concluded in mid-May. It said an inclusive and sustainable post-Covid recovery will require “raising productivity through upskilling and effective active labour market policies,” especially for young and female workers.

The international body also warned against a premature withdrawal of Covid-related supports and State borrowing and spending in response to the pandemic should be sustained to prevent derailing Ireland’s economic recovery.

On housing, the IMF said reducing shortages in affordable housing required a multi-pronged approach and, while it welcomed the government’s current effort, said more needs to be done.

It recommended the release of more land for development, streamlining the approval processes for permits and rezoning, assessing incentives to build rental properties, and increasing overall supply, including the supply of social housing.

Solidarity

Responding to the IMF statement, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the recommendations were both practical and necessary, and that any measures would need to be part of a broader drive for solidarity to ensure nobody was left behind in the recovery.

“The IMF has said that the risk of a two-speed recovery remains likely, and has identified a need to minimize medium-term damage and, crucially, to reduce income disparity.

“As the Government navigates the recovery, all of these policies must be focused on ensuring an equitable recovery, underpinned by principles of solidarity.

“The current housing crisis is a malingering after-effect of the last economic crisis, and a generation is now priced out of an affordable place to live, in a market infested with aggressive investors. The Government must act swiftly to address this problem, and grasp the opportunity to increase public investment into social and affordable housing.

“Security of tenure and affordable housing are the means to meaningful economic participation and decent standards of living. We cannot allow anyone to be locked out of that opportunity, and the time for the Government to act is now,” he said.

Taxation

The IMF supports the increases in state borrowing and spending undertaken by the Government in response to Covid, and warned against any premature withdrawal of support to prevent derailing Ireland’s economic recovery.

While it said taxation will have to rise to pay for the extra public spending, the IMF said this shouldn’t happen until the economy is fully recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The IMF also highlighted the opportunity to accelerate the adoption of climate-friendly policies as the post-Covid recovery develops. It recommended a boost in public investment in transportation networks and renewable energy, subsidies for building renovation to achieve greater energy efficiency, and support for low-emission agronomic technologies and carbon sequestration, including through the restoration of peatlands.

The international body was one of the ‘Troika’ bodies that provided bail-out loans and oversaw the policies of austerity of the post-2008 economic crisis. Its most recent Irish visit (or ‘mission’) took place in a series of online meetings in April and May with senior government ministers and officials, the Central Bank, trade union representatives, and representatives from the business, banking and industry sectors.

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The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has described Government measures to tackle the activities of investment funds that bulk-buy new-build housing as limited, minimalist and unlikely to be effective.

Responding to this week’s proposals aimed at protecting first-time buyers from ‘cuckoo funds,’ ICTU general secretary Patricia King said they were “unlikely to significantly deter or limit” such activities and “will do nothing” to ensure delivery of affordable housing for all. 

Purchases of more than ten houses will now attract stamp duty of 10% under plans agreed by Government on Tuesday.

But the measure does not apply to the bulk purchase of apartments. ICTU says the speculative funds will remain largely free to bulk-buy apartments for rent at unaffordable prices.

"The overriding concern of the Government appears to lie with ensuring the continued presence of such funds, even if this means the continued and ongoing dysfunction of our housing market,” said Ms King.

ICTU called for major state intervention to deliver decent, affordable homes, cost rental and public housing at scale to ensure housing for all. It said the absence of affordable housing has pushed local authorities into expensive, long-term leasing deals in order to provide social housing. 

"Our housing market will become less lucrative for speculative interests only when we make it more affordable and secure for people. We can do this by delivering on genuinely affordable homes to buy or rent, ensuring greater security for tenants by ending 'no-fault evictions' and introducing a new, legal right to housing," said Ms King. 

The Government measures are to be brought forward in two stages. Initially, the bulk purchases of houses will be banned via a circular to be issued to local authorities in the coming days. It’s understood that all houses will have to be made available for individual purchase for a period of two years, after which they can then be bulk purchased.

Then, an amendment of the affordable housing bill expected to see up to 50% of houses being be reserved for owner occupiers. This encompasses a broader range of people that first time buyers, the term initially used in the bill.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

Workers who wish to join Fórsa can to do so using a new ‘join online’ function on the union’s website.

Going live with the new system follows several months of research, preparation and testing aimed at making it easier than ever to join the union. It also goes live as the union continues to process a large number of new membership applications, as interest in joining the union has surged since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fórsa’s general secretary Kevin Callinan commented: “The current crisis has created the necessity to be able to carry out our business in different ways. Work on this project had commenced before the Covid-19 crisis took hold, and its completion marks a vital step as we tackle the challenges of living in changed times.

“We can see that more people want to join a union in response to what’s happening in the wider economy. It’s vital that they can take those initial steps quickly and easily, and making the membership application process more accessible is part of that process.

“This is a crucial new venture to enable Fórsa to substantially increase our membership - and to strengthen the union’s hand - at a critical time in the union’s development,” he said.

The online facility is a streamlined and simplified membership application process, and will be the quickest and easiest way to join the union. All incoming applications will continue to be subject to check-off and approval by Fórsa branches and the national executive committee, while the new online system is designed to ease the administrative burden on branches.

You can join Fórsa online at https://join.forsa.ie/

Fórsa is here to protect you if you have problems arising from the coronavirus or other workplace issues. The best way to contact the union at this time is HERE.

We will deal with queries as quickly as we can but, needless to say, the union will prioritise cases where members’ jobs and incomes are at immediate risk – as well as any serious health and safety issues that may arise.

Fórsa has cancelled all face-to-face meetings for the time being. The union is redeploying its staff to prioritise engagement with management on proposals arising from the Covid-19 public health crisis, and to provide rapid and efficient responses to members’ queries and concerns.

Fórsa's main phone line (01 817 1500) is now open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively members can use the Contact Us page on the Fórsa website to submit queries directly to the relevant division within Fórsa and this remains the most efficient way to access advice directly.

Wherever possible, Fórsa staff have been equipped to work remotely. Therefore, members should not attend Fórsa offices at this time. If you have a query or concern, the best way to raise it is to contact the union HERE.