With public sector pay talks on the horizon, members are driving activity across their workplaces to build support for the ‘Better Deal’ pledge. 

General secretary Kevin Callinan said: “The Public Service Agreement expires this month, and while we were encouraged by the Taoiseach’s speech at our conference several weeks ago, we are keen to hear whether more concrete engagement is planned.” 

“We know our members are more determined than ever to stand together. When members sign the pledge, they are clearly stating what it is they want to see in any new agreement. Pay increases that match inflation, resolution of local bargaining claims, measures for fair work life balance and investment in the common good. Right now, almost 50,000 people have signed, and that number keeps on growing.” 

New resources are now available to support members as they seek to organise activities around the pledge in their workplace. You can send this WhatsApp message to friends and colleagues. 

We spoke to members who have been organising around the pledge to get a better sense of what works best on the ground. 

In Fingal County Council branch executive member Will Mooney Ennis told us that in-person conversations have had a real impact: "Getting out and talking to members is the most important activity any union representative can undertake.”  

On the need for the ‘A Better Deal’ campaign, he said: “Any member on the ground will tell you that their standard of living has gone down, and how their struggles have increased both personally and professionally in the last 10 years. ‘A Better Deal’ is a campaign that was formulated based on members’ needs, and which will only win through members' action."  

In Kildare Health and Welfare, branch chair Gary Buckley emphasised the importance of reps who know their workplaces well, saying, “Our reps and contacts on the ground are our main assets. They know their workplaces and are the best at the one-to-one conversations. 

Recently the branch has begun phone-banking its members to build pledges. Gary said, “They have had a great response. Some workers may work remotely or be out on visits when we are on site, so it’s great to reach out to them with the calls.  

Kildare Health branch activist, Keivan Jackson continued: “The phone calls have multiple benefits. Pledge responses go up, and it’s also a great way to update your member data. Members get so many emails they may not have seen our campaign correspondence, they may have a new email address, or they may say that they do not fully understand the campaign. The phone calls are a great way of learning what’s going on for individual members. 

In-person events in workplaces have also generated significant increases in signatures, and branches are encouraged to continue organising meetings and stalls about the pledge as the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 expires this month. 

Chair of the Dublin Hospitals branch, Michelle Kenny said that engagement through organising has been central to success. She said, “We have a very active branch executive committee who are all local representatives in their employments and give their time willingly to meet with and engage members in their workplaces. We have dedicated stalls across our worksites, attended by committee members on a regular basis. Members get to meet us and know that we represent them. It is important to us that our members understand there is an active branch committee who believe in the collective strength of our members in Dublin Hospitals”.  

Michelle continued, “In Trade Union Week, we achieved a record number of engagements with our members, with at least three major activities daily, resulting in 15 stalls or meetings meaning 60 hours of focused, member-driven engagements for that week alone.” 

Online meetings can also have a big impact. Chair of the Revenue Executive Grades branch Pat Murtagh explained that the branch hosted two online meetings attended by hundreds of members. He said: “People are aware that the Public Service Agreement is expiring soon and they are concerned about what comes next. Signing the pledge is one way members can send a clear message about the need to support civil and public servants during these difficult times.” 

Urging members to keep the momentum going director of campaigns Kevin Donoghue said: “There’s no shortage of ideas out there for organising activity around the pledge. It’s fantastic to see how creative and enthusiastic members are. If any branch is looking for support organising events they can always reach out and contact us at campaigns@forsa.ie” 

Access the campaign toolkit here.

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