Fórsa is setting up deduction at source (DAS) payments for school secretaries who have signed up to move from bank standing order (BSO) to deduction at source payment of union membership subscriptions. 

Fórsa is calling on school secretaries who have yet to sign up to do so as soon as possible. 

Deduction at source means that a member’s employer will take care of collecting union subscriptions and sending them to Fórsa, so members do not need to set up bank standing orders themselves. 

Until recently school secretaries could not avail of deduction at source because they were employed directly by schools, and schools often lack the resources available to allow for deduction at source payment of subs. As a result, school secretaries have mainly paid union membership subs by bank standing order up until now. 

The successful campaign for school secretaries to be paid by the Department of Education has an additional benefit because school secretaries can now switch to deduction at source payments, which is the norm for most Fórsa members who are public servants.

Bank standing order payments put the responsibility for payment on a member’s shoulders. As fees are based on a percentage of salary this method can also make it more likely that a member is not paying the correct subscription rate. This could mean a member is not entitled to representation, union services, and member benefits when they need them. It also creates the possibility of a member missing a payment and their membership lapsing as a consequence.

Deduction at source payment means the Department of Education will work out how much each member pays, subtract that directly from a member’s pay, and send the payment to Fórsa.

Chair of the school secretaries branch Luisa Carty said: “Moving to DAS will assist our branch in securing our regular revenue and help us with building our finances to keep organising and campaigning on the things that matter to you.”

“We plan to use the subs you give us, to keep you informed about what’s happening as we move forward with the campaign to win public service status, pensions, and annual leave. We will continue to organise local meetings, produce campaign material, and keep fighting and winning for our members!”
 
“For some members, moving to DAS might mean a small increase in their monthly subscription. That’s because the 0.8% or €0.80 cent per €100 of wages that we collect will be based on the improved annual salary that we’ve won for our members.”

Seán McElhinney, Fórsa’s head of membership, said “By moving to deduction at source payment of subs we want to make life easier for our school secretaries. Not only will be easier for members it will also benefit the school secretaries branch. The membership team is here to support this transition and can answer any queries members may have.” 

To begin the process of signing up for deduction at source payment follow this link here.

Members who have already signed up for deduction at source payment of subs now are advised to cancel their bank standing order payment as soon as possible to avoid double payment. If you have already signed up, you will receive an email reminding you to cancel their bank standing order payment to avoid double payment.

Members who may have made a double payment due to uncancelled bank standing order are advised to contact the union for a refund.

More information on Fórsa subscription rates can be found here.

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