Public expenditure minister Michael McGrath has now raised the issue of public service pay and inflation at Cabinet earlier this week, and a formal engagement with his department’s officials is expected to get underway soon.

Last month Mr McGrath acknowledged the impact of inflation on public servants and other workers, and indicated that he favoured a short agreement because of uncertainties in the global economy.

Earlier, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan and other union leaders met senior Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) officials last week after the ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC) triggered a review clause in the Building Momentum public service agreement.

Fórsa had proposed this, arguing that sustained high inflation was grounds for a review of the agreement’s pay terms. The union said the assumptions underpinning the agreement needed to be revisited in view of soaring prices, which were not expected when Building Momentum was negotiated in December 2020.

Kevin has said there was an urgent need for measures to be taken “in the form of additional pay increases” to stabilise the agreement.

“While the various Government measures go a little way to address the effect of the cost-of-living crisis, workers can’t be expected to bear the increased cost of living on their own. All employers who can afford it will have to assist with efforts to maintain living standards through the normal bargaining processes,” he said.

Fórsa has been warning for months that unexpectedly high inflation was not a short-term problem. Earlier this year the union called for immediate Government action to protect living standards and stabilise the public service agreement, which expires in December.

“When we negotiated Building Momentum, it wasn’t the intention of any of the parties – unions or Government – to see public service pay movement so out of step with prices. Modest increases were agreed on the understanding that prices would be relatively stable. There must be an adjustment in the pay terms,” he said.

Kevin added that unions also wanted to avoid a ‘wage-price spiral’ where pay increases start to fuel inflation. “But we must strike the right balance. We can’t end up destroying consumer confidence and affecting jobs and exchequer returns unintentionally,” he said.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has again called on the Government to do more to protect workers’ living standards as the World Bank forecasted that energy and other commodity prices, which are currently driving inflation, are likely to remain “historically high” until 2024.

In its latest economic advice to ICTU, the union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) said inflation here could approach double digits this summer, and is unlikely to fall to 2% before 2024. It projected that inflation would average between 6% and 7% over the whole of 2022.

The consumer price index, which is the standard measure of inflation in Ireland, hit 6.7% in March. This is by far the highest rate of price rises for over 20 years.

And earlier hopes that prices would quickly fall have been overtaken by the impact of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is pushing up prices by reducing the supply of energy and a range of food commodities.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) says the impact of this falls hardest on the most vulnerable countries, at a time when the world is trying to recover from the recession and increased inequalities exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. But it’s hitting living standards everywhere.

Marking May Day last weekend, ICTU published a new report comparing the value of the social wage – free or cheap publicly-funded services – for workers in Ireland and the EU. 

It found that a lack of public provision left Irish workers on modest wages paying much more than other EU citizens for essentials like housing, healthcare and childcare.

Meanwhile NERI says that, while uncertainty and inflation will negatively impact consumption and investment decisions in Ireland, it’s unlikely to cause a recession. It forecasts that domestic demand should grow by close to 4% this year and next.

ICTU’s Private Sector Committee has increased its targets for pay increases in light of inflation, and Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has said additional pay increases are also needed to stabilise the public service Building Momentum agreement.

“While the various Government measures go a little way to address the effect of the cost-of-living crisis, workers can’t be expected to bear the increased cost of living on their own. All employers who can afford it will have to assist with efforts to maintain living standards through the normal bargaining processes,” he said.

He added that unions also wanted to avoid a ‘wage-price spiral’ where pay increases start to fuel inflation. “But we must strike the right balance. We can’t end up destroying consumer confidence and affecting jobs and exchequer returns unintentionally,” he said.

The World Bank’s vice president Indermit Gilt also urged Governments to “take every opportunity to increase economic growth at home and avoid actions that will bring harm to the global economy” when he launched the Bank’s latest economic assessment last month.

Representatives of and other unions representing local authority staff are due to meet Irish Water management and local authority department next week to continue negotiations on a proposed national water authority.

Two days have been set aside by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to deal with the industrial relations strand of the Irish Water transformation negotiations, and some progress was made on certain aspects of the conditions of employment.

The group of unions recently developed a comprehensive response to the position tabled by management last November, before heading into last month’s negotiations. Fórsa reiterated its opposition to any forced transfer of staff from the local authority sector.

Irish Water and the department are now due to seek clarification on some elements of their proposal.

The group had also constructed an alternative water service delivery model, which would ensure that local authorities continue to have a long-term role in the provision of public water and wastewater services.

Unions had further sought specific assurances around the terms and conditions of workers who remain in local council employment, and for those who transfer voluntarily to a new agency. Fórsa and other unions also want detailed assurances and commitments on a constitutional referendum, the future of local authorities, and on the governance of the new water entity.

Fórsa and other union representatives previously welcomed Minister Darragh O’Brien’s acceptance of four broad strands sought by the unions, as well as confirmation that there would be no forced transfer of staff to a new centralised water service.

The Government has proposed that the centralised service would take on current local authority water activities.

A former Ryanair pilot in the UK has been successful in a ‘bogus self-employment’ claim against Ryanair at a British employment tribunal. The pilot was working as a contractor pilot, supplied to Ryaniar through McGinley Aviation (MCG).

The case emerged as Fórsa official Katie Morgan was named as one of two ICTU representatives on an Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment working group on the determination of employment status.

Chaired by Minister of State Damien English, the group is comprised of employer and union representatives and aims to give stakeholders the opportunity to engage on the issue of false self-employment and discuss the potential to improve systems by which correct employment status can be determined.

Assisted by the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), the UK pilot argued that he was an ‘agency worker’ of Ryanair, meaning he should have been entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as directly-employed Ryanair pilots.

Balpa’s newsletter reports that the tribunal found the pilot was not self-employed but a worker and a crew member of MCG, in addition to being an agency worker of Ryanair. It found that the pilot “had no say in anything. He just did what he was told. This is the polar opposite of running a business.”

The tribunal also observed that the pilot had “no choice as to the vehicle through which” he was to be engaged as this was “non-negotiable,” and there was a “complete imbalance of power.” It described the involvement of the service company (MCG) in these arrangements as a “fiction in practice.”

Working group

Katie said the establishment of the Irish working group marked the beginning of reviewing employment status and bogus practices.

“Our hope is to improve worker protections by addressing the problem of bogus self-employment. This has been a topic of interest within our division. Ialpa brought a motion to our divisional conference last year in which they highlighted how Irish law currently facilitates, and even encourages bogus self-employment in many sectors of the economy.

“Many who are caught in these bogus arrangements are not there by choice. In most cases, they agree to these arrangements as there’s no offer of a directly employed job. A UK supreme court judgement marked a very serious challenge to these bogus self-employment practices last year.

“Fórsa will use this process to explore all the possible avenues through which these exploitative practices can be wiped out, worker protections improved and that all other aspects of workplace safety and protections are properly implemented,” she said.

Fórsa’s menstrual health survey closes at noon on Thursday 12th May. If you haven’t already, take five minutes out to fill in this questionnaire and inform the union’s policies and work in this important area.

The union has received very engaging responses from Fórsa members, and is looking to hear from all those who didn’t get a chance to fill out the survey the first time around.

Participation in the survey is completely anonymous, and your personal details will not be shared with anyone else. Fill out our survey HERE.

Research shows that almost 14% of women have missed work because of their period, with 3.5% reporting period related absenteeism month on month.

Issues around women’s experiences of menopause are also gaining more attention, with people becoming more aware of how this can affect women’s presence in the workplace.

A recent survey by Fórsa’s Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Branch received a very engaging response from people who took the time to share their experiences.

Of those who responded, one in five said that they had been diagnosed with a specific condition such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. This is representative of broader society where one in ten people who menstruate are thought to have endometriosis, with up to 25% suffering menstrual issues.

The Branch has also brought a motion to this year’s biennial conference to further alleviate the stigma surrounding this issue in the workplace.

The recent announcement that the civil service is to develop a menstrual health policy is more evidence of an overdue acceptance that women’s reproductive health can have a major impact on their working lives.

One aspect Fórsa was interested in exploring was the impact of remote working when it came to menstruation and menopause. Almost four-fifths of those participating in the survey said that remote working had improved their experience of menstruation, with almost one-in-nine agreeing that not having to travel to work when tired, or experiencing cramps, was a positive.

When it came to people’s experience of menopause, over 80% of respondents felt that access to flexible arrangements including remote working on ad hoc basis as required would help. Better training for managers and staff was also considered important by 81% of those participating in the survey.

The branch had also asked if people thought their workplace should have a workplace period-friendly policy, with measures including better toilet facilities, wipe-down darker fabrics and flexible working. Nearly all of those who expressed an opinion said hey wanted to see a policy introduced, and Fórsa wanted to see whether this opinion was reflected within its wider membership.

Fórsa aims to lift the taboo around this issue in the workplace, and you can help by filling out our survey HERE. 

Help improve the way we view menstrual health at work by telling us about your experience.

Almost 700 representatives of Fórsa members across the country will meet in Killarney on 18th May for the first in-person delegate conference since the onset of the Covid pandemic. Debate at the three-day event is expected to be dominated by the issue of living standards against the background of high inflation.

The event takes place hot on the heels of the Government’s acceptance of an independent report on the restoration of additional working time introduced for many public servants under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement, and the start of new talks on public service pay.

It will hear contributions from Nicolas Schmit, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, ICTU general secretary Patricia King, and Rosa Pavanelli of the international union federation Public Services International (PSI).

Post-pandemic recovery, jobs growth, climate action and the nationwide housing crisis will also feature strongly on the agenda of the conference, which sets union policy for the next two years.

A number of fringe events have also been arranged.

All Fórsa members can follow the conference proceedings HERE and the conference agenda and other documents are available HERE.

We’ll be featuring reports on the conference in our next Fórsa bulletins.

The ‘social wage’ for workers in Ireland is exceptionally low by EU standards according to latest research by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), which was published to mark May Day last weekend.

The Social Wage: Public services and income supports in Ireland and the EU also finds that Ireland is the second most expensive country in the European Union after Denmark, with prices 36% above the EU average.

The report compares the value of the social wage – free or cheap State-provided public services –for workers in Ireland and a selection of other rich EU countries. This includes welfare spending, unemployment benefits, housing and childcare.

ICTU social policy officer Laura Bambrick said Irish workers on modest wages have to pay market prices for essentials services that workers in other EU state get free on the basis of need, irrespective of the size of their pay packet.

“For example, a full-time worker in rural Ireland earning not much more than minimum wage is ineligible for social housing. Only one-in-seven over-18s in employment hold a medical card, and just one-in28 hold a GP visiting card, because the maximum earnings threshold to qualify for public-funded primary healthcare is so low,” she said.

Fórsa has led ICTU calls for a more generous social wage to reduce the inflation squeeze on wages. Free or heavily subsidised public services reduce people’s out-of-pocket expenses and bring down their cost of living. They act as a virtual income top-up to people’s cash income from work or welfare.

The union says the lack of low-cost public services added an immense strain on people’s expenses and cost of living, which affected minimum wage earners and those in vulnerable occupations the most.

A stark finding from the report also found that in the vital area of housing, which include utilities bills, costs in Ireland were higher than anywhere else in the union, at nearly 78% more expensive than the average.

The report concluded that there was “wide public support” for putting a strong safety net in place to protect people’s standard of living against common risks. This can only be done through timely and meaningful consideration on the role for government with respect to expanding access to affordable housing, child and adult care, free healthcare and education, and heavily subsidised and sufficient public transport, it says.

Read the full report HERE.

Dust down your lycra and dig out your helmets. It’s time to sign up for the Fórsa conference cycle again, and help raise much-needed funds for charity.

Conference delegates and their supporters will cycle some or all of the route between Limerick and the Fórsa national conference in Killarney next month.

Departing at 8.30am from the South Court Hotel in Limerick on the morning of 18th May, the peloton will arrive in Killarney in time for registration. A van has been arranged to transport bikes from Dublin to Limerick, and back to Dublin again if needed.

The initiative which has been running since 2008 has raised over €230,000 to date.

Organised by Fórsa’s head of health Éamonn Donnelly and head of local government Dessie Robinson, he cycle raises much needed funds for small charities based in communities throughout the country.

Reassuringly, you don’t need to be a professional to take part. “There is still plenty of time to register for the cycle – you can do a little or a lot – just take part, you will enjoy the craic on the way to Killarney,” explained Dessie.

Dessie says it’s a fun event. “It’s about having a great time while raising money for smaller local charities that don’t have large budgets to back the important work they do. In the past we’ve helped organisations supporting mental health, suicide prevention, and cancer support,” he said.

Éamonn appealed for branches to get behind members representing them, and help them to raise money and prepare for the event itself. “We fully understand that there have been huge demands on branches to contribute to charities this year, but we would ask you to make a donation, however small it may be and remember, if your branch makes a donation, they can nominate a local or a national charity,” he said.

For more information, or to get involved, contact Linda Casey.

Fórsa is to host a series of lunchtime webinars taking a deeper look at each of the proposals in its recently-launched report on the ‘Irish state post-pandemic.’ The report explored the political and economic space for enhancing the role of the State, improve public services, improve social mobility, reduce inequality, and integrate climate action into economic development.

Join us on 12th May for the first event in this series, which provides an analysis of the economic space for a post-pandemic Irish State. 

The discussion takes place from 12.30-1.30pm and will look at spending deficits and taxation deficits, and the borrowing capacity of the Irish state. Ireland has options in terms of how it can increase revenue and borrowing conditions have been exceptionally benign in recent years. This event will explore those options and what they mean for Ireland.

Speakers include Professor Mary Murphy, Head of Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, Siptu researcher Michael Taft, and economist Paul Goldrick Kelly.

Throughout the rest of the series we will also be looking at the political space for this much needed change as well as examining what the State might look like post pandemic. The series will also look at opportunities for a post-pandemic Northern Ireland.

You can sign up to attend the webinars HERE. 

You can read the report HERE.

Fórsa members have been asked to support a petition calling for the release of over a dozen Belarusian trade unionists arrested by the KGB last month for speaking out against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and standing up for workers’ rights. You can sign the petition HERE. 

The arrests and detainment of union leaders has been condemned by Amnesty International, the International Labour Organisation and unions across the globe.

The detained trade union activists include almost all of Belarus’s independent union leaders. Among them were President of Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) Alexandr Yarashuk, vice-president Siarhei Antusevich, and the head of the Free Belarusian Trade Union Mikalaj Sharakh.

For decades the independent trade union movement in Belarus has taken a strong stand against the dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

Despite a severe political crackdown, the BKDP has openly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the territory of Belarus.

Fórsa members have also been asked to share the petition links with colleagues, friends and family. Watch this SHORT VIDEO.

Fórsa members can continue to avail of free counselling, legal advice and domestic assistance by contacting the union’s helplines, which now have new phone numbers. Qualified personnel are on hand to support Fórsa members 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the following lines:

• Legal help in bodily injury cases: 0818-776644
• Legal advice: 0818-776644
• Confidential counselling: 1800-776655
• Domestic assistance: 0818-776644

Fórsa members can also avail of a health information service, staffed by qualified nurses, on health and fitness and non-diagnostic advice on medical matters. Advice on allergies, the side effects of drugs and how to improve general fitness are also available as part of this service.

The health and medical information line can be reached on 0818 254164, and is available 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public and bank holidays.

If you call outside these times, a message will be taken and a return call arranged within the operating hours. More information can be found HERE.