Articles A
Major concessions lead to school strike deferral
by Bernard Harbor and Niall Shanahan
 

A national one-day strike by school secretaries and caretakers, which was scheduled to take place this week, was deferred when the education department made significant concessions in a Workplace Relations Commission-brokered negotiation.


A national one-day strike by school secretaries and caretakers, which was scheduled to take place this week, was deferred when the education department made significant concessions in a Workplace Relations Commission-brokered negotiation on Tuesday (14th September).

 

Fórsa said the department finally conceded that all school secretaries should be placed on the public service clerical officer scale, bringing an end to a four-decade old two-tier pay system.

 

The offer will also do away with the requirement for most secretaries to sign on during school breaks, as they will be able to retain existing work patterns while having their salaries paid over 52 weeks on a pro-rata basis.

 

The assimilation arrangements for transferring staff to new scales are to be finalised through discussions over the next couple of weeks.

 

The improvements, which will come into effect from 1st September 2021, will also see equalisation of annual leave arrangements on the basis of public service clerical officer provisions. The department also agreed to improve sick pay arrangements, though Fórsa will continue to pursue full equalisation with ETB-employed secretaries.

 

Contract

The union also said it expected the new employment conditions to be included in a model national contract for secretaries. It said the education department had stated that the administration of secretaries’ pay would be centralised, with the details to be discussed over the coming weeks.

 

Fórsa said work remained to be done on the details of a similar package for caretakers, but said the department had agreed that the same principles would apply to them.

 

Whilst no agreement was reached on the provision of pensions, the parties will try and seek a resolution of this outstanding issue in the final phase of talks on this long-standing dispute.

 

Fórsa’s head of education Andy Pike said the outcome represented the first concrete steps towards dismantling the two-tier pay system.

 

“It's not everything we wanted as we have not secured public service status, but aligning the pay rates to the proper scales is genuinely a step forward. The determination and resolve of school secretaries and caretakers has finally put the end of the two-tier pay system within our grasp,” he said.

 

Andy added that the department want to centralise pay arrangements but no final decision has yet been made on moving staff away from local payroll.

 

Breakthrough

He said that, until this week’s breakthrough, an earlier offer from the education department would have left most secretaries on €12,000 a year less than their directly-employed colleagues, which the union had said was unacceptable. “No secretary or caretaker wanted to be on strike this week, but their willingness to take that step in a just cause was crucial to this victory.

 

“On their behalf, I want to thank the thousands of parents, SNAs, teachers, principals, elected representatives and others who have shown growing support and solidarity for secretaries and caretakers, who are at the heart of the school community,” he said.

 

The Fórsa branch committee agreed to defer the strike action for two weeks, pending confirmation of the implementation of the package.

 

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

Engagement paramount to campus return
by Róisín McKane
 

Fórsa is currently engaging with higher education employers on a range of measures ahead of the phased return of staff and students to campus later this month.


Fórsa is currently engaging with higher education employers on a range of measures ahead of the phased return of staff and students to campus later this month.

 

The union has raised concerns about the readiness of employers to facilitate on-campus attendance, although it has welcomed plans for safety requirements in technological universities, institutes of technology and Mary Immaculate College. These include social distancing where possible, the availability of antigen testing, and a requirement for facemasks in public spaces.

 

Official guidance to employers, which was published earlier this month, stressed the need for a “cautious and careful” approach and a gradual return to workplace attendance.

 

It underlined the requirement for employers to consult with staff and worker safety representatives in advance of the September 20th commencement of the return to workplaces, and emphasised the need for employers to take account of a revised Work Safely Protocol and related health and safety checklists

 

But Fórsa’s head of education, Andy Pike, said many employers were not yet compliant with the new safety protocol.

 

“Some institutions are saying that all staff attend on site. Others are facilitating some remote working with essential staff in front-facing roles required to return. A remote working policy for some staff will have to be agreed on a site-by-site basis,” he said.

 

The official guidance strongly advises the use of staggered arrangements like “non-fulltime attendance and flexible working hours,” and reminds employers that workplace attendance is only advised for “specific business requirements.”

 

While public health advice is to maintain a two-metre social distance where possible, many institutions will have to move to one metre in order to facilitate in-person lectures. Andy said that mitigation measures including increased ventilation and masks were needed in such cases.

 

“We are concerned that some management teams are not disclosing risk assessments of areas like libraries, where heavy student footfall is expected. Safety measures in office accommodation has not yet been finalised as some employers propose returning 100% of office staff without social distancing.

 

“Disagreements have also arisen over the application of indoor dining restrictions on campus. Some institutions will not check vaccination status in canteens and dining facilities despite national guidance that these measures remain in place,” he said.

 

Elsewhere, education and training boards (ETBs) are in the process of identifying the areas where staff attendance is essential, and the length of attendance required. Fórsa is in discussions with employer representatives, but says it’s too early to say if this will produce a consistent outcome across ETBs.

Fórsa official Stella Griffin said the need for ongoing consultation with unions and worker safety representatives was paramount.

 

“Consultation is key in the return to work guidance but to date that is not happening. Some employers are saying that all staff must be back at their desks from next week, but our local representatives have informed me that they are having to contact local management to seek a meeting on plans to return to campus. That is absolutely unacceptable and I’m asking that the department sends a strong message to employers that they must adhere to meaningful consultation with the unions,” she said.

 

Fórsa branches have been advised to seek assistance from the union if their local management moves to impose unacceptable arrangements during the phased return to the workplace.

 

“Where problems arise for individual members they are advised to contact their Branch or In-House Committee who will ensure that the Lead Worker Representative is made aware of the difficulty,” said Stella.

 

Read the official guidance HERE.

 

Read about the revised workplace safety protocol HERE.

 

Read the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) checklists HERE.

 

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

Delay urged for planned pension age increase
by Niall Shanahan
 

It’s been reported that the Pensions Commission has recommended that a planned increase in the State pension age to 67 should be delayed by at least seven years.


It’s been reported that the Pensions Commission has recommended that a planned increase in the State pension age to 67 should be delayed by at least seven years.

 

Media reports say that the commission has urged social protection minister Heather Humphreys to instead increase the State pension age to 67 in quarterly increments between 2028 and 2031.

 

The commission’s report, submitted to the minister last week, also said to have recommended that the age be gradually increased to 68 by between 2032 and 2039.

 

The age at which the State pension kicks in rose from 65 to 66 in 2014. Plans to increase it to 67 this year were postponed following pressure from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and others. Instead, the Pensions Commission was asked to consider the issue and make recommendations.

 

The recent media reports say the commission has also recommended a requirement that workers make 40 years of social insurance contributions to qualify for a full State pension. Current arrangements allow people to qualify for a full pension after ten years, while the amount they receive is based on average yearly contributions.

 

Fórsa has urged full publication of the report and its recommendations.

 

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

Blended working talks to get underway
by Bernard Harbor
 

Fórsa is to sit down with civil service management for talks on a ‘blended working’ policy next week. 


Fórsa is to sit down with civil service management for talks on a ‘blended working’ policy next week. Once agreement is reached in the civil service, the outcome is expected to inform discussions in the education sector and other public service organisations.

 

The aim is to agree a framework and manage blended working in the long-term. It would supersede arrangements put in place during the pandemic in which most schools-based education workers continued to operate from their normal workplaces.

 

A Government ‘Blended Working Policy Statement, published in July, said the civil service would switch from pandemic-related remote working provisions to long-term blended working arrangements between September 2021 and March 2022.

 

But last week Fórsa told senior Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) officials that the civil service talks must conclude much sooner to allow discussions to take place in other sectors in time for agreed policies to be in place by next spring. Management has agreed that this is the best approach.

 

There was some early engagement between the union and civil service management on the implementation of the Government’s blended working policy statement during the summer months, when Fórsa submitted detailed observations on a draft DPER blended working framework.

 

The comprehensive unwinding of Covid-19 restrictions announced by the Government at the end of last month includes a phased return to workplaces from 20th September. But, speaking to reporters after the launch, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said he expected people to embrace ‘blended working’ – a mix of remote work and workplace attendance.

 

Fórsa said the phased return to workplaces should build on the positive pandemic experience of remote or ‘blended’ working, which had largely sustained or increased productivity throughout the pandemic while bringing wider benefits to employers, workers and society.

 

The union says the public service should show a lead on remote working, which can bring significant benefits to staff, employers and society while sustaining service quality and productivity across the economy.

 

“We want to see a consistent approach across the civil and public service, with transparency and fairness over access to remote working. We are also seeking adequate protections on working conditions, privacy and data protection, a right to disconnect, and health and safety including mental health,” it said.

 

The Government’s Remote Working Strategy, published in January 2021, includes a pledge to establish a legal right to request remote working, introduce a legally admissible code of practice on the right to disconnect, review the treatment of remote working for tax purposes, and make remote working the norm for 20% of public sector staff.

 

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

Congress concerns on housing plan
by Bernard Harbor
 

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has expressed "significant concerns” about the targets for public housing provision, affordable housing and cost rental homes set out in the Government’s new housing policy.


The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has expressed "significant concerns” about the targets for public housing provision, affordable housing and cost rental homes set out in the Government’s new housing policy called Housing for All: A New Housing Plan for Ireland, which was published earlier this month.

 

Congress also said it believed stronger protections against eviction in the private rental sector were needed.

 

Congress officer Macdara Doyle said: “We are in the midst of the deepest, most severe housing crisis in the history of the State, and this requires a response that is commensurate with the scale of that challenge. Congress has consistently argued that the resolution of this crisis lies in a major State-led housing programme that delivers the public, affordable and cost rental homes in the right locations and in the numbers required, to meet the scale of existing need.”

 

He added that union officials were studying the details of the proposals, and would issue a comprehensive response to Government in the coming days.

 

“On initial reading, the plan does appear to contain positive commitments in respect of ending homelessness, action on youth and family homelessness and ensuring greater social inclusion in housing policy, particularly with respect to Traveller accommodation. But more detail on implementation on these key issues will be required,” said Doyle.  

 

Social Justice Ireland said the policy failed to reflect the scale of the challenge. The think tank said the help-to-buy scheme – which allows first-time buyers to claim back up to €20,000 through tax – should be scrapped. It also want the sale of public land for private development to be outlawed.

 

Meanwhile, Focus Ireland welcomed the policy’s commitment to end homelessness by 2030 and acknowledged its ambitious social and affordable housing targets. But it called for maximising housing delivery early in the 10-year strategy.

 

Its director of advocacy Mike Allen said the commitment to work to end homelessness must be more than words. “To make this a reality, policy must shift away from providing more shelters as a response to homelessness. This commitment must spearhead a move to provide more affordable housing, adequate supports and effective prevention measures to help keep people in their homes.”

 

Read Housing for All HERE. 

 

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

Fórsa launches skills academy
by Róisín McKane
 

The new home for all of Fórsa’s training and development initiatives was launched yesterday (16th September). The Fórsa Skills Academy will offer a wide range of introductory, expanded and advanced training designed for the union’s workplace representatives and branch activists.


The new home for all of Fórsa’s training and development initiatives was launched yesterday (16th September). The Fórsa Skills Academy will offer a wide range of introductory, expanded and advanced training designed for the union’s workplace representatives and branch activists. You can read more about the range of courses HERE

 

Speaking at the launch Fórsa’s director of training and development Linda Kelly described the academy as “a new era, supporting all of our incredible workplace representatives.”

 

Fórsa activist and local government chair Julie Flood spoke passionately and encouragingly about her experience with the union’s training offering.

 

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, deputy general secretary Eoin Ronayne and president Michael Smyth also welcomed the new venture.

 

Details of the first introductory course – Fórsa 101 – have been circulated to branches, and we have invited expressions of interest. This is a half-day online course on the union and how it works, with a focus on the role of Fórsa workplace representatives.

 

Members who are interested in attending should discuss their application with their branch training officer or branch secretary and the Fórsa official assigned to their branch.

 

Full details of how to apply are available HERE

 

For further information contact Judith Coffey 021-425-5221 or at skillsacademy@forsa.ie.

 

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

Feature Article
Green Ribbon 2021: Positive mental health
by Niall Shanahan
 

The See Change campaign for positive mental health is underway throughout September. Each year the organisation rolls out its month-long national Green Ribbon initiative to encourage people in Ireland to end mental health stigma and discrimination. This is the ninth successive year of the campaign.


The See Change campaign for positive mental health is underway throughout September.

 

Each year the organisation rolls out its month-long national Green Ribbon initiative to encourage people in Ireland to end mental health stigma and discrimination. This is the ninth successive year of the campaign.

 

The organisation aims to promote a better understanding of mental health, to champion equality and bring an end to discrimination for everyone affected by mental health problems. See Change promotes a vision of an Ireland where every person has an open and positive attitude to their own and others' mental health, and aims to create an environment where people are more open and positive in their attitudes and behaviour towards mental health.

 

To get the conversation started, everyone is encouraged to wear the Green Ribbon, an international symbol for mental health awareness. By wearing the ribbon you’ll be showing you’re committed to influencing positive change.

 

You don’t need to be an expert to start talking about mental health or have all the answers. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is to let someone know you are there for them and simply listen.

 

Let people know you are open to having a conversation by wearing the green ribbon.

 

Fórsa staff will be joining in this year, and encouraging union members to get involved in a positive conversation about mental health. To find out more, and to place an order for your own Green Ribbon, visit the See Change website.

Also in this issue
Update your contact details
by Róisín McKane
 

Fórsa is keen to ensure that we have up-to-date contact details for all our members. You can help us keep you informed by visiting the ‘Update My Details’ page and adding your personal email address (not a work address), home postal address, and mobile phone number.

 

To update your contact details, simply fill in this online form

 

And please share this with your colleagues. If we don’t have their contact details they won’t have received this message.

 

Please note, your home email address helps to ensure direct, safe and more effective communications with you than a workplace email address.

 

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

Fórsa supports Myanmar and its workers
by Mehak Dugal
 

Fórsa has expressed solidarity with the people of Myanmar, and given its full support to the campaign to stop the military-led State Administration Council (SAC) from gaining recognition as the country’s government at the 76th UN General Assembly.

 

The union also unequivocally backed the call for immediate release of trade unionists currently being unlawfully detained for opposing the violent oppression and campaigning for democracy and freedom for the people of Myanmar.

 

Along with unions around the world, Fórsa called for the recognition of the legitimate government of Myanmar, which was elected last November.

 

It said it rejects the military-led State Administration Council, and instead backed the call to have the National Unity Government (NUG) recognised as the legitimate government of Myanmar.

 

The trade union movement in Myanmar has bravely and successfully campaigned to reject the credentials of the SAC at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in June. The ILO – made up of representatives of governments, business and workers – adopted a resolution calling for a return to democracy and respect for fundamental rights in Myanmar.

 

The crucial victories by the union-led movement are imperative to effectively fight the military rule and must be continued, Fórsa has said

 

The union also commended the efforts of health workers in Myanmar. They are battling the unprecedented demands of the global health pandemic, while also opposing the regressive regime and campaigning for human rights.

 

You can view the union’s solidarity message on the official message board here.

 

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

Grant scheme invites applications
by Mehak Dugal
 

Fórsa is inviting eligible members and activists to apply to its third level grant support scheme, which gives limited financial assistance to those undertaking certified educational courses – up to third level – that will assist them in carrying out their union representative role.

 

The scheme does not cover courses designed to enhance professional or career development unless they also improve a member’s ability to act as a Fórsa rep.

 

Applicants, who must be fully paid-up Fórsa members, can only apply by completing the approved application form and they must also have the support of their own Fórsa branch.

 

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 13th October 2021.

 

Full details of the application requirements and available support are available HERE. 

 

The application form is available HERE.

 

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

Join Fórsa online
 

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: Here to support you
 

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.

Labour Court marks 75 years
by Niall Shanahan
 

Ireland’s Labour Court will next week mark its 75th anniversary. The court’s prestigious history and crucial role in the development of the State is being celebrated on social media on #IrelandThenandNow.

 

The court was established in 1946, following the enactment of the Industrial Relations Act, which coincided with the end of a seven-month pay dispute by Dublin teachers.

 

Current deputy chairs of the court include Louise O’Donnell and Tom Geraghty, both of whom formerly worked for our union. Louise was head of the Health and Welfare Division in IMPACT, one of the unions that amalgamated to create Fórsa. Tom is a former general secretary of both Fórsa and the PSEU. Both were appointed by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

 

Louise, who was called to the Bar of Ireland last year, said the court’s role in the history of the State parallels Ireland’s modernisation and the continuing development of workers’ rights.

 

“The court carries a proud history of adjudication, and the work we do today is built on strong foundations created by those members of the court who served ahead of us. In marking this anniversary, it gives us an opportunity to consider the outstanding work of people like Evelyn Owens, the first woman appointed as deputy chair of the court, who became its first female chair in 1994.

 

“Evelyn’s legacy includes a robust body of case law on equality issues, on which we continue to build, and we take pride in that legacy as we mark 75 years of the court’s service to the state,” she said.

 

When it was established the court’s main functions were to adjudicate in trade disputes and to provide a conciliation service. Other functions given to the court included the establishment of joint labour committees (JLCs) and the registration of employment agreements and joint industrial councils. In 1975 an equality service was added to deal with equal pay – and later, equal treatment – cases.

 

This equality service, and the conciliation service of the Labour Court, were transferred to the newly established Labour Relations Commission (LRC) in 1991. In 2015, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) was established, incorporating the roles and functions previously carried out by the LRC, as well as those of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), Equality Tribunal (ET), Rights Commissioners Service (RCS), and the first-instance (complaints and referral) functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT).

 

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