Ireland’s first ever Trade Union Week took place last week. Over 50 Fórsa branches got involved in organising events in schools, hospitals, and offices, leading to a direct increase in new members. 
Trade Union Week was part of the Better in a Trade Union campaign, launched by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) earlier this year.

At the beginning of the week ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy called on the State to introduce legal protection and rights for workers to join a union as Ireland. He said:  “We want to see the EU Minimum Wage Directive implemented as a priority to ensure all workers can enjoy full rights and legal protections, and to remove any barriers that exist around joining a union.”

“Our aim for Trade Union Week is to show those yet to join a union the huge benefits that exist in collective action and bargaining. Every worker is better in a trade union."

Fórsa national secretary and ICTU Vice President Katie Morgan said “The tremendous efforts by Fórsa activists really showcased the diversity and strength of our union.  This campaign is all about promoting the benefits of unionising and encouraging workers to join their union, so we are delighted that the events organised by Fórsa branches have had a real impact on recruitment and awareness raising.”

Katie continued “Last week, in the workplaces where Trade Union Week events took place, on average we saw a 25% increase in new membership applications, compared to the preceding four weeks.”

Highlights from around the country included an impromptu concert by Christy Moore in Dún Laoghaire  Rathdown County Hall, a talk by Helen Corish in Red Books in Wexford on the 1911 Wexford Lockout, and Bohemians F.C. wearing Better in a Trade Union jerseys in Oriel Park.

Several events were co-organised with other unions including the INMO, SIPTU, the AHCPS, and the INTO, showcasing how unions work together in workplaces to achieve real change for members. 

In Dublin Fórsa Youth welcomed members from all union youth networks to a panel discussion celebrating the role of young leaders in the trade union movement. Participants then went on to take part in the Dublin Council of Trade Unions annual May Day march. 

You can watch back a recap of some of these highlights below.

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

Members of the AHCPS and Fórsa have backed a new pay agreement with AirNav and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), which was negotiated at the flight regulator’s internal disputes regulation body (IDRB). 

The IDRB had agreed to a mediation process last March, with the aim to achieve an agreed resolution, between Air Nav, IAA and the Staff Panel, on general round increases to apply in 2023 and 2024. 

A 4% pay increase for 2023, recommended by the internal ‘Performance Verification Board’ (PVB), had been roundly rejected in a ballot of members.
The agreed mediation process saw multiple separate engagements, with representatives from both the employer and union sides, taking place in April and settlement terms were eventually agreed, subject to all parties recommending acceptance of the outcome.

In a letter to management this week (7th May) Fórsa and the AHCPS confirmed the outcome of the ballot, which saw a return of 91% in favour of the pay proposal.

The terms are as follows:

2023

•    A pay increase of 4% or €1600 whichever is the greater from 1st January 2023
•    A pay increase of 1.75% from 1st July 2023.

2024    

•    A pay increase of 3% or €1200 whichever is the greater from 1st January 2024
•    A pay increase of 1.25% from 1st July 2024.

Fórsa assistant general secretary Derek Kelleher commented: “This was a complex and challenging negotiation process. Nevertheless, the ballot result illustrates a positive outcome for Fórsa members, whose resolve and organisation ultimately helped to deliver a better deal,” he said.
 

Fórsa’s biennial delegate conference will take place at the INEC in Killarney next week, from early evening on Wednesday 15th May to Friday 17th May.

The conference will assemble over 700 delegates from Fórsa’s membership of more than 85,000 to determine union policy and elect the union’s President and officers.

Delegates will debate motions on issues including the challenges for workers arising from the continuing crisis in housing, progress toward a National Living Wage and the transposition of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, as well as the recruitment and retention challenges facing vital public services. 

Debates will take place in the context of the recently ratified public service pay agreement, which includes provisions for local bargaining, and higher increases for lower paid workers. Record turnout in a ballot of Fórsa members resulted in a 94% approval of the Public Sector Pay Agreement 2024 – 2026.

Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan said: “Conference is a unique opportunity for members to come together and determine our union’s direction. This year’s theme is Your Union, Your Power, which really encapsulates what it means for member-led democracy to define our collective trajectory.” 

Keynote speeches will be given by a range of leading trade unionists and guests including Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Phil Ni Sheaghdha, Vice President, Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Owen Reidy, General Secretary of ICTU and Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland. 

Delegates will be invited to attend a diverse range of fringe meetings across Thursday and Friday. Among the fringe meetings taking place there will be sessions on High Density - High Participation Organising, Justice for Colombia and the fight for trade union freedom, and the Irish Beekeepers Association: responding to the infestation of the Asian hornet. 

Additional activities include the launch of the Fórsa Skills Academy training calendar for September 2024 - August 2025, and, following a successful pilot, a new mentoring programme. We will also celebrate our members' achievements by presenting Distinguished Service Awards, a Lifetime Achievement award, and for the first time ever, National Members’ Awards.

All conference documentation and updates will be available on forsa.ie on our dedicated conference hub and you can follow the activity on social media using the hashtag #Forsa2024

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

Our Skills Academy have some fantastic upcoming trainings available to members over May and June, with a Lunch and Learn on a sensitive but important topic, and our ever-popular Fórsa 101.

Lunch and Learn on Domestic Violence Awareness Friday 31st May

This month our Lunch and Learn online training will be on domestic violence awareness. Domestic violence is a topic Irish people have historically been disinclined to talk about. However, avoiding the topic has not prevented the proliferation of domestic violence in our society.

14% of women in Ireland have experienced physical violence by a current or former partner since age 15. 6% of Irish women have experienced sexual violence, and 31% of women have experienced psychological violence by a current or former partner since age 15.

This session will be led by Hannah Wayte,who steers the Women’s Aid Employer Engagement Programme, a specialist service for employers with the aim of creating supportive and safe workplace environments for victim-survivors of domestic violence and abuse

Hannah will take participants through the need-to-knows of responding to domestic violence, how to handle a disclosure and the supports and services available to people experiencing domestic violence.

These lunchtime webinars are designed to share information on a wide range of topics beneficial to members, activists, and representatives. Taking place on the last Friday of every month from 1-2pm, each session deals with a different topic and is open to all Fórsa members.

If you wish to attend the Lunch & Learn session and haven’t registered, please register by filling out this form.

Fórsa 101 Information session Wednesday 12th June

There will be another Fórsa 101 session this June. Fórsa 101 is a wonderful course for making the structures of Fórsa seem less imposing. It explains how the six divisions, 85,000 members, hundreds of branches, and thousands of workplaces, all come together and form a working whole, as well as how individual members fit into it.

The session is targeted at members who have never received any training previously or are not currently active within the union but want to be.  

Fórsa 101 is a 2 to 2 1/2 hours long and delivered online. The next sessions are Wednesday, 12th June 2024, with sessions available in the morning (9.30am-12pm) or evening (6pm-8.30pm). To register fill out this form by clicking here. 

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

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) are currently seeking participants to take part in the inaugural session of their Leadership Programme for Minority Ethnic and Migrant Workers.

The programme is an opportunity for minority ethnic and migrant union members to become more engaged within unions. It will give participants a firm understanding of advocacy in the workplace on a range of issues, as well as how to further participate in union structures.  

The training will take place over one and a half days, opening with an evening on Tuesday 21st May. That will be followed by a full day in-person session at a Dublin city-centre location, on Wednesday 5th June.

The training is part of ICTU’s Anti-Racist Workplaces and Unions Project, it will be facilitated by the project’s coordinator Dr David Carroll, and Dr Lucy Michael. 

According to Dr Carroll: “These training days will offer hands-on advice and practical steps on developing leadership skills. Content will include exploring the existing barriers to participation for minority ethnic and migrant workers, legal protections against discrimination and exploitation, and options for advocacy and complaint. 

“Participants will also explore a range of inequalities including wage gaps, job insecurity, promotion, disciplinary actions, and underrepresentation. The programme will provide an important space to explore advocacy approaches, coalition building, and action planning for equality.” 

For more information contact the Irish Congress of Trade Unions by emailing David.carroll@ictu.ie 

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