700 delegates came together for Fórsa’s biennial conference last week. Delegates elected a new officer board and decided union policy for the next two years. 

Following a stunning performance by singer Tolü Makay on Wednesday evening, conference got underway with outgoing President Michael Smyth's address, adoption of standing orders and motions on housing. Watch the highlights of Day 1 here.

Michael’s speech emphasised the importance of how we all connect to one another, saying "Connection lies at the heart of everything we do as a union." He noted that Fórsa is "now a greater force to be reckoned with – more so than at any other time in our shared history." 

Michael ended with a moving rallying call to delegates, saying "Let’s help to make life what it should be for every human being."

Motions on housing took centre stage on Wednesday evening. Fórsa activist Anne Marie Ryan, from the Westmeath health and welfare branch, called on delegates to support the union’s active engagement with government to advocate for “a meaningful and workable resolution to the housing crisis. We want the union to fight for stricter regulations on landlords, developers and commercial funds to ensure fair and affordable housing options for all workers,” she said.

Helen Linehan, from Fórsa’s Cork general clerical branch, said her branch had brought its motion to the conference because so many of her younger work colleagues were still living at home with parents or contemplating emigration because they could not find a home.

Helen said too many members in civil and public services continue to struggle with high rents and are forced to live further away from their work in order to find more affordable accommodation: “The current situation cannot continue. Workers cannot afford escalating housing costs, and this poses a genuine threat to our public services,” she said.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan addressed conference on Thursday morning. In a wide-ranging speech Kevin declared that Fórsa will take a lead role in building a better Ireland. He said: “Everything we have, we won by organising. Now we have to do more than we ever have before. We need to mobilise on the issues that will make our country a better place to live and work.” You can read more about Kevin’s speech in a story below.  

Conference also welcomed two international keynote speakers on Thursday. Esther Lynch, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), and Fórsa member, congratulated members on their achievements, particularly in regard to the campaigns to protect library workers and for school secretaries pay and conditions. She told delegates that every union in Europe is connected, members are like links in a chain. 

Speaking ahead of the European elections on 7th June 2024, she said: “Workers and our trade unions are the beating heart of Europe, our activists and shop stewards are our front-line defenders, standing up every day for the pay, terms and conditions of our members but also for the fundamental human right to belong to a trade union and to act collectively in our defence of working people.”

Daniel Bertossa, president of Public Services International (PSI) spoke about the work public sector unions across the world do to protect their members. 

On Thursday morning motions on pay were debated, with motions on new entrants pay scales being carried, among a number of motions on pay provisions. Later in the day internal union organisation motions were taken in closed session. Delegates debated issues ranging from the use of plain english in union communications, the creation of LGBTQI+ officers and how the union can best support reps. International policy motions closed off the day's debates with the majority of motions focused on the war in Palestine. Watch the highlights of Thursday here.

Also, on Thursday four of our members working in local authorities spoke to both The Irish Times and the Irish Independent about the experience of dealing with aggressive and abusive behaviour by service users and far right agitators. Rose, Michael, Sorcha and Róisín eloquently told of the impact this workplace harassment has had on them and their colleagues, with Rose saying “It’s not our job to be censors”.

It was standing room only at the fringe meetings held by the Skills Academy and the Membership Unit on Thursday, while fringes on Friday focused on Justice for Colombia, the inaugural Members’ awards, high participation unions, and the Asian hornet infestation. 

The final day of conference kept the pace up, with delegates speaking in debates on terms and conditions, union organisation and disability in the workplace. You can watch the highlights of Day 3 here.

On Friday afternoon a moving and emotional speech was made by the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland. Delegates welcomed the Ambassador with a prolonged standing ovation, before listening to her impassioned plea for continued support.

Addressing conference, she said “We the Palestinians deserve to live, deserve to be viewed just as worthy as other human beings, for our right to self-determination to be acknowledged.” 

Thanking delegates for their attendance and participation at Conference Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said: “We’re building for  a better union and a better Ireland. I’m really hopeful for the next two years based on the debates we had and the decisions we made.”

You can look at a selection of photos from Conference here.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.