Fórsa members employed at the state’s Child and Family agency, Tusla, are to suspend current industrial action in the dispute over Tusla’s withdrawal of staff access to an agreed job evaluation scheme.

The issue was subject to a hearing at the Labour Court last week, on Monday 29th April 2024. The decision of the Labour Court will issue to the union within the next few weeks. 

Following the hearing the employer issued a request to suspend the industrial action given that the Labour Court hearing has concluded. Fórsa’s Disputes Committee met this week and decided to suspend the current industrial action. A letter to members notifying them of this suspension will be issued this morning Friday10th May.

The industrial action has taken the form of a work-to-rule and a series of non-cooperation actions and has involved Tusla’s clerical and administrative staff employed in grades three to six. 
Fórsa members balloted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in September 2023, and the industrial action commenced last October.

When Tusla was formed in 2013, HSE staff were transferred into the newly-formed agency, with terms and conditions from their HSE employment protected by the terms of a framework agreement, including access to a job evaluation scheme, a process for measuring the relative worth of posts in an organisation based on the work a post-holder is doing or is expected to do.

The dispute arose because Tusla had failed to honour the 2013 framework agreement specifically in relation to access to the job evaluation scheme.

Fórsa official Chris Cully said: “The suspension of this work to rule industrial action must not be taken as a white flag for managers to load members with additional work above and beyond a person’s existing job.”

Chris continued: “ I want to thank all members who engaged in this industrial action and those who supported their colleagues. Thanks to your efforts we have kept the pressure up, which has allowed us to get the case back before the Labour Court.”

Members will be notified when the outcome is known. 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Fórsa is among the health unions representing HSE and community and voluntary health staff across the country who’ve said the delayed publication of the HSE’s ‘pay and numbers’ strategy is actively disrupting health services as a recruitment moratorium remains in place.

The ‘pay and numbers’ strategy document sets out a full employment top line number in health services and is ultimately approved by the Minister for Health. The strategy is crucial to health workforce planning, the management of new posts, agency staff and overtime.

The ICTU group of health unions (Connect, Fórsa, INMO, IMO, MLSA, Siptu and Unite) have expressed frustration that health services continue to endure problems arising from the recruitment and retention of staff, with no sign - almost halfway through the year - that the ‘pay and numbers’ strategy is imminent.

In October last year, HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health that it was his intention to have a full pay and numbers strategy in place, ensuring “an improved control environment will allow for these targets to be met and maintained on the one hand but not exceeded on the other.”

Fórsa’s Health and Welfare national secretary Ashley Connolly commented: “Each time we’ve met with HSE management they have told us that any potential for recruitment is linked to the publication of this strategy. The delay has tied everyone’s hands, with little or no sense of urgency on the part of the Department of Health or the HSE. 

“Last year we saw the effect of HSE overspending on external consultants and agency staff. Workforce planning is a crucial component of health service delivery, and the recruitment embargo – imposed by the HSE as a cost-control device – continues to extend waiting times and place more pressure on staff, which in turn is contributing to stress, burnout and staff retention challenges,” she said. 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Fórsa members working at St. Christopher's in Longford have served notice of industrial action, set to commence on Tuesday 28th May. The union served notice to management of the community disability service on Tuesday (7th). The industrial action will take the form of a work-to-rule.

In a letter to management of St Christopher’s, Fórsa assistant general secretary Tony Martin said: “The issues in dispute are clear, the employer’s unilateral decision to disregard the WRC (Workplace Relations Commission) agreement, dated 2021 and inform our members that salary increments will not be paid as and when they fall due.”

The HSE requested that the payment of increments be suspended until further notice, as the health body said it was unable to provide the necessary funding. Tony said while it’s regrettable that members had been left with no option but to plan for industrial action, members would not tolerate the breach of an existing agreement.

The work-to-rule will mean that Fórsa members at St Christopher’s will not attend work outside of their contracted hours and won’t engage in planned overtime. In addition, Fórsa members will not take on any tasks, functions or duties associated with a higher grade, will limit their use of personal phones for work purposes and will cease the use of personal vehicles for work purposes.  

Tony advised that union representatives remain available to meet with management to discuss any necessary contingency plans.  He added: “We remain available for discussions to settle this industrial dispute. Management and the HSE need to understand the resolve of Fórsa members at St Christopher’s is strong, and that this action will commence in three weeks unless the matter is resolved,” he said.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

An important meeting approaches for all Fórsa Pharmacist members working in non-acute settings. On Monday 20th May at 3pm, an online meeting will be held via Microsoft teams, to prepare members for the push to extend the terms of the Hospital Pharmacy Agreement to staff working outside of acute hospitals.

The Hospital Pharmacy Agreement was achieved through years of dedicated grassroots organising work by pharmacists across the country. The agreement sees the creation of new job roles to provide greater opportunity for career advancement along with improved pay for pharmacists in acute hospital settings.

As things stand pharmacists working in CHO structures, national services, and in hospital sites or community settings not funded through the Acute Hospital Division are currently not covered by the Hospital Pharmacy Agreement.

A claim has been submitted to extend the agreement to pharmacists in these employments. The meeting will take members through the claim and give them some idea of how they can get involved in ensuring its success. 

“It has been a long road since the McLoughlin Report, back in November 2011, when the new roles were first recommended“ said national secretary Linda Kelly.

 “With the Hospital Pharmacy Agreement due to be implemented in acute hospitals we can now focus on ensuring our members in non-acute hospitals have the same prospects for career advancement.”

The meeting will take place Monday 20th May at 3pm, online via Microsoft teams. Please share note of this meeting widely with any colleagues working in these areas. Attendees must be Fórsa members.

The meeting can be accessed here. 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Fórsa’s biennial delegate conference will take place at the INEC in Killarney next week, from early evening on Wednesday 15th May to Friday 17th May.

The conference will assemble over 700 delegates from Fórsa’s membership of more than 85,000 to determine union policy and elect the union’s President and officers.

Delegates will debate motions on issues including the challenges for workers arising from the continuing crisis in housing, progress toward a National Living Wage and the transposition of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, as well as the recruitment and retention challenges facing vital public services. 

Debates will take place in the context of the recently ratified public service pay agreement, which includes provisions for local bargaining, and higher increases for lower paid workers. Record turnout in a ballot of Fórsa members resulted in a 94% approval of the Public Sector Pay Agreement 2024 – 2026.

Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan said: “Conference is a unique opportunity for members to come together and determine our union’s direction. This year’s theme is Your Union, Your Power, which really encapsulates what it means for member-led democracy to define our collective trajectory.” 

Keynote speeches will be given by a range of leading trade unionists and guests including Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Phil Ni Sheaghdha, Vice President, Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Owen Reidy, General Secretary of ICTU and Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland. 

Delegates will be invited to attend a diverse range of fringe meetings across Thursday and Friday. Among the fringe meetings taking place there will be sessions on High Density - High Participation Organising, Justice for Colombia and the fight for trade union freedom, and the Irish Beekeepers Association: responding to the infestation of the Asian hornet. 

Additional activities include the launch of the Fórsa Skills Academy training calendar for September 2024 - August 2025, and, following a successful pilot, a new mentoring programme. We will also celebrate our members' achievements by presenting Distinguished Service Awards, a Lifetime Achievement award, and for the first time ever, National Members’ Awards.

All conference documentation and updates will be available on forsa.ie on our dedicated conference hub and you can follow the activity on social media using the hashtag #Forsa2024

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Ireland’s first ever Trade Union Week took place last week. Over 50 Fórsa branches got involved in organising events in schools, hospitals, and offices, leading to a direct increase in new members. 
Trade Union Week was part of the Better in a Trade Union campaign, launched by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) earlier this year.

At the beginning of the week ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy called on the State to introduce legal protection and rights for workers to join a union as Ireland. He said:  “We want to see the EU Minimum Wage Directive implemented as a priority to ensure all workers can enjoy full rights and legal protections, and to remove any barriers that exist around joining a union.”

“Our aim for Trade Union Week is to show those yet to join a union the huge benefits that exist in collective action and bargaining. Every worker is better in a trade union."

Fórsa national secretary and ICTU Vice President Katie Morgan said “The tremendous efforts by Fórsa activists really showcased the diversity and strength of our union.  This campaign is all about promoting the benefits of unionising and encouraging workers to join their union, so we are delighted that the events organised by Fórsa branches have had a real impact on recruitment and awareness raising.”

Katie continued “Last week, in the workplaces where Trade Union Week events took place, on average we saw a 25% increase in new membership applications, compared to the preceding four weeks.”

Katie continued “Last week, in the workplaces where Trade Union Week events took place, on average we saw a 25% increase in new membership applications, compared to the preceding four weeks.”

Highlights from around the country included an impromptu concert by Christy Moore in Dún Laoghaire  Rathdown County Hall, a talk by Helen Corish in Red Books in Wexford on the 1911 Wexford Lockout, and Bohemians F.C. wearing Better in a Trade Union jerseys in Oriel Park.

Several events were co-organised with other unions including the INMO, SIPTU, the AHCPS, and the INTO, showcasing how unions work together in workplaces to achieve real change for members. 

In Dublin Fórsa Youth welcomed members from all union youth networks to a panel discussion celebrating the role of young leaders in the trade union movement. Participants then went on to take part in the Dublin Council of Trade Unions annual May Day march. 

Watch our members talk about why they got involved in Trade Union Week below.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Our Skills Academy have some fantastic upcoming trainings available to members over May and June, with a Lunch and Learn on a sensitive but important topic, and our ever-popular Fórsa 101.

Lunch and Learn on Domestic Violence Awareness Friday 31st May

This month our Lunch and Learn online training will be on domestic violence awareness. Domestic violence is a topic Irish people have historically been disinclined to talk about. However, avoiding the topic has not prevented the proliferation of domestic violence in our society.

14% of women in Ireland have experienced physical violence by a current or former partner since age 15. 6% of Irish women have experienced sexual violence, and 31% of women have experienced psychological violence by a current or former partner since age 15.

This session will be led by Hannah Wayte,who steers the Women’s Aid Employer Engagement Programme, a specialist service for employers with the aim of creating supportive and safe workplace environments for victim-survivors of domestic violence and abuse

Hannah will take participants through the need-to-knows of responding to domestic violence, how to handle a disclosure and the supports and services available to people experiencing domestic violence.

These lunchtime webinars are designed to share information on a wide range of topics beneficial to members, activists, and representatives. Taking place on the last Friday of every month from 1-2pm, each session deals with a different topic and is open to all Fórsa members.

If you wish to attend the Lunch & Learn session and haven’t registered, please register by filling out this form.

Fórsa 101 Information session Wednesday 12th June

There will be another Fórsa 101 session this June. Fórsa 101 is a wonderful course for making the structures of Fórsa seem less imposing. It explains how the six divisions, 85,000 members, hundreds of branches, and thousands of workplaces, all come together and form a working whole, as well as how individual members fit into it.

The session is targeted at members who have never received any training previously or are not currently active within the union but want to be.  

Fórsa 101 is a 2 to 2 1/2 hours long and delivered online. The next sessions are Wednesday, 12th June 2024, with sessions available in the morning (9.30am-12pm) or evening (6pm-8.30pm). To register fill out this form by clicking here. 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) are currently seeking participants to take part in the inaugural session of their Leadership Programme for Minority Ethnic and Migrant Workers.

The programme is an opportunity for minority ethnic and migrant union members to become more engaged within unions. It will give participants a firm understanding of advocacy in the workplace on a range of issues, as well as how to further participate in union structures.  

The training will take place over one and a half days, opening with an evening on Tuesday 21st May. That will be followed by a full day in-person session at a Dublin city-centre location, on Wednesday 5th June.

The training is part of ICTU’s Anti-Racist Workplaces and Unions Project, it will be facilitated by the project’s coordinator Dr David Carroll, and Dr Lucy Michael. 

According to Dr Carroll: “These training days will offer hands-on advice and practical steps on developing leadership skills. Content will include exploring the existing barriers to participation for minority ethnic and migrant workers, legal protections against discrimination and exploitation, and options for advocacy and complaint. 

“Participants will also explore a range of inequalities including wage gaps, job insecurity, promotion, disciplinary actions, and underrepresentation. The programme will provide an important space to explore advocacy approaches, coalition building, and action planning for equality.” 

For more information contact the Irish Congress of Trade Unions by emailing David.carroll@ictu.ie 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.