Fórsa and other local authority unions have successfully negotiated an agreed process for the selection of Covid-19 safety representatives to underpin staff interests as workers return to council workplaces after working remotely.

The mechanism will see each union appoint a worker representative in each local council. They will then choose one of these as the lead worker representative to work on behalf of the members of all unions.

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), which represents council management, agreed to this approach earlier this week.

A nationally—agreed protocol on returning to work safely requires a lead worker representative to be selected in each employment.

The ‘return to work safety protocol’, which was agreed between unions, employers and Government, underpins workers’ safety as they move back to their normal place of work. Fórsa recently updated its guidance, which was published last week. 

The protocol requires employers to implement a number measures in advance of staff returning to workplaces. These include appointing Covid-19 workplace representatives, preparing information and training for staff, taking steps to underpin social distancing, cleaning and sanitising premises, and assessing the need for personal protective equipment (PPE).

Peter Nolan, who heads Fórsa’s two local authority divisions, said the lead worker representative had to be in place well before services begin to re-open. “In order to ensure balance across employments, sectors and unions, the agreed name will be submitted before 8th June,” he said.

Peter has instructed Fórsa officials to commence immediate discussions with the other local authority unions, which are Siptu and Connect.

“The speedy implementation of this process is of paramount importance in ensuring that union representatives play their full role in the return to work safety protocol. Fórsa is in ongoing contact with the LGMA to ensure the safety of staff and service users is prioritised,” he said.

Get Fórsa guidance on returning to your workplace safely HERE. 

Increasing number of workers could struggle with childcare problems in the coming weeks as employees migrate back to workplaces after working remotely.

The Government’s ‘roadmap for reopening society and business,’ launched earlier this month, saw some workplaces reopening last week. And, while many workers will continue to work at home for some weeks or even months, a growing number are set to return to offices and other workplaces.

But the Government’s plan envisages crèches, childminding and pre-school facilities reopening “in a phased manner,” for essential workers from the end of June. This will gradually increase to other workers, on a phased basis, from 20th July.

Half of all workers depend on such childcare facilities, and the Government’s roadmap says they could initially open for just a day a week before “slowly increasing thereafter.” Schools and colleges won’t open to students until September at the earliest.

Meanwhile, a new report from the union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) says women are set to be disproportionately affected by this “misalignment” of the return to workplaces and reopening of childcare facilities.

It says access to childcare will be a significant issue for many people returning to work as around 40% of workers have dependent children.

Although the official focus on childcare is on the reopening of schools and crèches, NERI says many people rely more on family members and friends. Its senior economist Lisa Wilsons said that accounts for half of workers in the Republic of Ireland.

“This dominant reliance on family is particularly important in the context of current public health restrictions as wider family circles are currently unable to physically interact with each other,” she said.

Given the poor policy intervention to address this issue, there is a serious risk that lack of access to childcare will affect families’ ability to leave the home and participate in the labour market.

Ms Wilson said the coronavirus had intensified gender inequality in the home as women assume the bulk of caring responsibilities.

“Research has highlighted that without access to childcare, gendered patterns of care are being replicated during lockdown and in many cases magnified.

“It is a well-known fact that women’s disproportionate responsibility for childcare within the home affects their ability to enter and progress equally in the labour market. This inequality is now being exacerbated by the lack of access to childcare owing to the Covid-19 crisis,” she said.

Get more information HERE. 

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

Fórsa has published new advice for workers who will be working remotely in the medium or long-term.

The guidance was produced as the Government’s recently-announced ‘roadmap for reopening society and business’, made it clear that many public servants and others will continue to work from home for some time.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the working circumstances of almost half of Ireland’s workers, with more than a third now working from home. This extended period of remote working is a new experience for most.

While some have now established a productive and rewarding remote working routine, it can be a struggle at times.

Working at home: Staying safe, connected, healthy and productive contains advice on health and safety, setting up a workspace, breaks, staying in touch with managers and colleagues, and balancing work with home life and childcare.

The guide also contains useful tips on data protection, cybersecurity, and safeguarding your mental health.

Róisín McKane of Fórsa’s Communications Unit drafted the guidance. “Many union members could be working remotely for longer than they ever expected. This information will help them to navigate home working for an extended period.

“You may be out of the workplace, but you can still rely on certain legal protections, and you should look to your employer for the supports you need to do your job safely and well,” she said.

Read the Fórsa guidance HERE. 

If you have questions or concerns about your own situation, you can contact Fórsa HERE. 

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

Fórsa has met with local government management representatives to seek commitments on the implementation of safety measures before libraries start to reopen early next month.

The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), which represents local authorities, has conceded that the resumption of services must be gradual to protect the health of staff and library users. The union has requested for services to be initially restricted on a ‘collect and return’ basis when reopening commences on 8th June.

Peter Nolan, the head of Fórsa’s local authority divisions, said this was one of a number of measures the union had sought. “We understand that people are impatient for this valued and well-used service to resume, and this is a managed first step which would limit the exposure of staff and library users to the coronavirus,” he said.

The union has also called for strict control over public access to ensure social distancing is maintained in libraries.

It has also called for proper signage and cleaning, facilities for outside queuing, an insistence that children are accompanied by an adult, restrictions on study facilities, and specific times for vulnerable people to access libraries.

The union is insisting that employers’ proposals to deal with these issues are set out well in advance of library re-opening.

Peter said libraries would also have to abide by an agreed national protocol governing workplace safety as the economy reopens.

This aims to underpin workers’ safety as staff migrate back to workplaces, and says every work location must have an agreed employee representative for Covid-19 safety arrangements.

He added that certain local authorities had already set out their own proposals. “Select libraries appear to have already provided for a reasonable balance between the needs to deliver a good service to the public and also adhere to public health guidelines.

"But it’s important that these measures are streamlined nationally in the best interest of both staff and service users,” he said.

Local authority libraries have continued to provide electronic library services to the public throughout the pandemic, with some services providing selected deliveries to members of the public.

Read Fórsa’s advice on a safe return to the workplace HERE. 

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

Fórsa is opposing plans for local authority vets to be compulsorily transferred to the Food Safety Authority Ireland (FSAI) against their wishes.

The vets, who inspect various small abattoirs including craft butchers and artisan food producers under a service-level agreement, have fallen victim to a row between the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and FSAI over funding inspections.

Fόrsa has learned that CCMA told the FSAI to take over the employment of the vets.

Fόrsa’s head of local government, Peter Nolan, criticised the way the 30-plus vets found out about the development and the absence of any consultation with them or their union.

In a letter to the Local Government Management Agency, which represents local authority employers, he called for an immediate withdrawal of the proposal and said any dispute over the move would involve all local authority staff.

“It’s grossly unfair that our members have become the meat in the sandwich in a dispute between two public bodies. Fόrsa believes every local government worker will be opposed to the shabby treatment of their colleagues,” he said.

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

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has welcomed a proposed European Commission post-Covid recovery plan, worth €750 billion, which would bring the total EU budget to €1.85 trillion over the next seven years.

In an opinion piece for the Irish Examiner he said the move suggested that the EU was moving away from the austerity of previous years, and towards the ‘social democratic’ policies favoured by trade unions.

And he called on the incoming Irish Government to follow suit and “avoid poor choices that hurt ordinary workers and their families and put the concerns of citizens down the agenda.”

The Commission’s proposed ‘next generation’ budget envisages the EU deploying a blend of spending, grants and borrowing. Support would be available to all EU member states, with most going to those worst affected by the pandemic.

This would include a new ‘recovery and resilience facility,’ worth €560 billion in financial supports for climate action, ‘digital transition,’ and other projects. It also includes almost €10 billion to strengthen health security and prepare for future health crises.

Launching the plan in Brussels on Wednesday (27th May), European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyden said her proposal would allow Europe to deal with the present crisis and prepare for the future.

But she warned that it required unanimous backing from EU member states. There is resistance from the so-called ‘frugal four’: Austria, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

In his Examiner article, which first appeared as a Fórsa blog earlier this week, Kevin Callinan identified a “sharp switch in EU political direction,” notwithstanding the reservations of those four countries.

“Unlike the conditions that prevailed a decade ago, Europe appears to be moving in what might be characterised as a social democratic direction,” he wrote. Kevin said the Commission’s emphasis on health services was also significant.

“The pandemic has produced a tremendous national effort, led by the health service and our heroic frontline staff, and supported by the wider public service. But this can’t conceal the fact that our infection rates, notably among healthcare workers, are poor compared with countries with better health systems.

“The historical underfunding of our public system, coupled with a convoluted model of private provision in acute hospitals and residential and homecare settings, has impaired our ability to maximise a fully coherent and integrated response,” he wrote.

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

Fórsa has updated its advice on coronavirus-related work issues for civil servants and staff in the wider public service. The advice covers attendance at work (including for pregnant workers and those with health vulnerabilities), salary protections for those self-isolating, temporary staff transfers, childcare and more. Read it HERE.

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

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/

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has called for a massive fiscal stimulus, with public investment across a range of public service and infrastructure projects, as part of a plan for Ireland’s recovery from the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘No going back: a new deal towards a safe and secure future for all’ also calls for universal free public health care, a massive programme of public house building, a cap on the price of childcare, increased investment in education, and the scrapping of plans to increase the State pension qualification age to 67.

The paper outlines proposals for a ‘green new deal’ to tackle climate change, and includes environmental taxes among measures to fund its ambitious programme. It also calls for higher taxes on wealth – including inheritance and gifts – as well as higher “social contributions” from employers.

It says that Ireland’s tax take per person lags behind the EU average, along with its spending on public services.

‘No going back’ also sets out demands for stronger social dialogue and collective bargaining rights.

Launching the programme, ICTU general secretary Patricia King warned against a sudden removal of income supports for workers laid off as a result of the pandemic.

“The response to this crisis has to be different this time. Austerity is neither socially acceptable nor economically necessary. We believe that the length and depth of the recession will be determined, at least in part, by the policies we choose and values that guide us,” she said.

She said that, like all other states, Ireland would need to borrow, taking advantage of low interest rates to create jobs and re-establish economic activity.

“We need to couple this with reform. Our paper clearly shows that employers pay considerably less than their European peers when it comes to employers’ PRSI. The State, as the backer of last resort, needs to be adequately financed and all sectors have to pay their fair share,” she said.

Read the report HERE.

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

Workplace bullying is more prevalent in the public service than in the private sector, but is more likely to damage productivity by causing absences in the latter.

That’s according to a new study from NUI Galway, which estimates that bullying-related absences account for 1.7 million lost working days a year, and a total annual cost to the economy of almost €240 million.

The study builds on previous research from the university, which showed the relationship between bullying and work-related stress. The new study looks at the economic costs.

John Cullinan, who led the research team, said increased incidents of remote working on foot of the Covid-19 crisis was unlikely to eliminate bullying-related costs.

His colleague Margaret Hodgins added that the significant economic cost of bullying, as well as the damaging personal impact, warranted a more proactive policy approach to the issue.

Read the report HERE.

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

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.