Articles A
Sláintecare doomed without cross-party support
by Bernard Harbor and Mehak Dugal
 

Fórsa has called on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to take immediate steps to shore up cross-party support for the Sláintecare programme following the resignation of three senior officials associated with the project.


Fórsa has called on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to take immediate steps to shore up cross-party support for the Sláintecare programme following the resignation of three senior officials associated with the project.

 

The union’s head of health, Éamonn Donnelly, said he feared that no significant health reforms would be implemented without the broad political and stakeholder support that Sláintecare had attracted.

 

“The whole initiative could be doomed if cross-party support is allowed to fracture. Those at the top of Government must act to quickly remove remaining barriers to reform, and all TDs and elected representatives must resist the temptation to turn this crucial national initiative into a political football,” he said.

 

Éamonn said the resignation of senior Sláintecare postholders had caused alarm, despite Government reassurances on its commitment to the programme.

 

“The one area where there has been significant progress is the growth of community-led health provision. But some major barriers to the establishment of regional structures and other aspects of Sláintecare have barely been addressed. These include GP restructuring and private practice in public health settings,” he said.

 

“The health service Covid response has been magnificent, and shows just what can be achieved. But the recent resignations are a wake-up call. That’s why Fórsa is calling on Taoiseach Micháel Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar to jointly intervene with concrete measures to move Sláintecare forward with the support and input of staff and other stakeholders.

 

“I’d also appeal to opposition parties to remain constructive. I share the legitimate frustration at the pace of implementation. But I fear a single-tier quality health service, free at the point of need, will never be realised if the health debate descends into a political dogfight again. Cross-party support is the bedrock of the Sláintecare programme,” he said.

 

Earlier this week, the south/south-west hospital group chairperson, Professor Geraldine McCarthy, resigned. This came just days after the chair of the Sláintecare implementation advisory council, Tom Keane, stepped down along with executive director Laura Magahy.

 

Fórsa joined other health unions in calling for a commitment to transitional funding for Sláintecare in the upcoming budget. The unions also called for a return to the original principles of the Sláintecare plan, including basing the project office in the Department of the Taoiseach and the creation of regional authorities.

 

In a statement they added that the Oireachtas health committee should meet on this matter urgently.

 

“The health minister needs to make a clear commitment to the plan and this has to be backed up by firm commitments from his colleagues in Government. Health staff deserve proper clarification and reassurance that employers are committed to the implementation process,” it said.

 

The ten-year plan adopted by the Government promised universal quality healthcare, free at the point of delivery, and an end to private practice in public hospitals. Along with free GP and hospital care, Sláintecare also heralds an end to Ireland’s over-reliance on hospital care through a greater focus on community and primary services.

 

Éamonn said increasing hospital queues demonstrated the urgent need to continue to develop community and primary care services.

 

“Over-reliance on acute hospital services results in people waiting on trolleys. Community and primary care is at the heart of Sláintecare and we need to accelerate the progress that has already been achieved in this area. With or without Sláintecare, there’s no alternative to community-led provision if we want to improve access to services and address hospital overcrowding,” he said.

 

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

HSCP grade conversions approved on foot of deal
by Bernard Harbor
 

The first 500 conversions of basic health professional grades to senior grade therapist will take place in primary care over the next four weeks. 


The first 500 conversions of basic health professional grades to senior grade therapist will take place in primary care over the next four weeks. This comes on foot of a Fórsa-management agreement to proceed with nine HSE learning community health network sites and 48 enhanced community care network (ECCN) sites.

 

The converted posts, put in place under the health and social care professional (HSCP) ‘career pathway review,’ will be backfilled.

 

The ‘go-live’ phase of the sites represents an important advance for Sláintecare, and delivers on a September 2018 agreement on the trial of nine learning sites. Implementation of that deal was stalled by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

A temporary 18-month agreement for 48 additional ECCNs was subsequently reached last year in light of the need to reinforce community health services after the Covid response came to dominate health provision.

 

The agreement includes provision for a joint evaluation and review of the learning sites, which will get underway from next month. This will inform the development of more durable structures planned for implementation in the longer term.

 

Fórsa officials believe that responsibility for discipline-specific cases and the separation of operational line management from clinical management are likely areas of contention in the review. The union also says further discussion on clinical coordinator and key worker roles is needed.

 

In light of the agreement, which will eventually span the entire HSE, the union has called off any remaining non-co-operation with the learning site and ECCN process. Its head of health and welfare, Éamonn Donnelly, said: “Our efforts will now be channelled into the evaluation process, which we will use to demonstrate and address real and practical issues as they arise.”

 

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.

Labour Court hears Covid recognition claim
by Bernard Harbor
 

A Labour Court hearing on the row over recognition for health workers’ efforts and commitment during the Covid-19 pandemic took place earlier this week.


A Labour Court hearing on the row over recognition for health workers’ efforts and commitment during the Covid-19 pandemic took place earlier this week.

 

Fórsa and other health unions referred the case to the court after a July meeting in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) saw no progress on the unions’ claim.

 

The HSE told the WRC that it had no mandate from the Government to make proposals to recognise health workers’ contribution. The unions – led by Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and SIPTU – subsequently asked Taoiseach Micheál Martin to intervene amid growing frustration among health staff.

 

Fórsa’s Head of Health and Welfare, Éamonn Donnelly, said: “This has become deeply damaging to the morale of health care workers who, without exception, have demonstrated extraordinary commitment in their response to public need since the pandemic struck Ireland in February 2021. It’s demoralising that we’ve ended up in the Labour Court when there is broad public and political consensus on the issue.”

 

The unions say the Government is out of step with Northern Ireland, the UK, and most EU countries, where health workers have already seen recognition of their extraordinary efforts and contribution.

 

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. 

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 health 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 the majority of health workers continued to operate from hospitals, community health facilities and other 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.

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. 

Call for board gender quotas
by Mehak Dugal
 

The National Women’s Council (NWCI) has backed a new bill that would impose gender quotas for company boards.

 

The Irish Corporate Governance (Gender Balance) Bill 2021, introduced to Dáil Éireann by Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins, would require a 33% quota for women on company boards, rising to 40% after three years. It would apply to Irish companies with 50 or more employees, and would introduce sanctions for companies that fail to comply.

 

The bill would require companies to submit annual gender balance reports at boardroom level.

 

The NWCI also called on the Government to bring forward legislation to introduce gender quotas for boards. It said the proposed private members’ bill aligns with its ‘Balance the Odds’ campaign, which was launched earlier this year to increase women’s representation on corporate Boards.

 

NWCI director Orla O’Connor said the bill had the potential to improve women’s representation on boards. She and called on the Government to support it.

 

She said it would help bring Ireland in line with other EU countries like France and Germany, which have already successfully adopted legislative quotas on company boards.

 

Emma DeSouza of the NWCI said the voluntary target-led approach had not worked.

 

“A growing number of studies make a business case for increasing the number of women in leadership roles. Including women in senior management and on boards makes full use of the available talent, incorporates more diverse perspectives and life experiences, and – in turn – leads to greater innovation, higher productivity, and better working conditions,” she said.

 

Read the NWCI report on increasing gender balance on boards 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 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.