Public expenditure minister Michael McGrath has now raised the issue of public service pay and inflation at Cabinet earlier this week, and a formal engagement with his department’s officials is expected to get underway soon.

Last month Mr McGrath acknowledged the impact of inflation on public servants and other workers, and indicated that he favoured a short agreement because of uncertainties in the global economy.

Earlier, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan and other union leaders met senior Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) officials last week after the ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC) triggered a review clause in the Building Momentum public service agreement.

Fórsa had proposed this, arguing that sustained high inflation was grounds for a review of the agreement’s pay terms. The union said the assumptions underpinning the agreement needed to be revisited in view of soaring prices, which were not expected when Building Momentum was negotiated in December 2020.

Kevin has said there was an urgent need for measures to be taken “in the form of additional pay increases” to stabilise the agreement.

“While the various Government measures go a little way to address the effect of the cost-of-living crisis, workers can’t be expected to bear the increased cost of living on their own. All employers who can afford it will have to assist with efforts to maintain living standards through the normal bargaining processes,” he said.

Fórsa has been warning for months that unexpectedly high inflation was not a short-term problem. Earlier this year the union called for immediate Government action to protect living standards and stabilise the public service agreement, which expires in December.

“When we negotiated Building Momentum, it wasn’t the intention of any of the parties – unions or Government – to see public service pay movement so out of step with prices. Modest increases were agreed on the understanding that prices would be relatively stable. There must be an adjustment in the pay terms,” he said.

Kevin added that unions also wanted to avoid a ‘wage-price spiral’ where pay increases start to fuel inflation. “But we must strike the right balance. We can’t end up destroying consumer confidence and affecting jobs and exchequer returns unintentionally,” he said.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has again called on the Government to do more to protect workers’ living standards as the World Bank forecasted that energy and other commodity prices, which are currently driving inflation, are likely to remain “historically high” until 2024.

In its latest economic advice to ICTU, the union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) said inflation here could approach double digits this summer, and is unlikely to fall to 2% before 2024. It projected that inflation would average between 6% and 7% over the whole of 2022.

The consumer price index, which is the standard measure of inflation in Ireland, hit 6.7% in March. This is by far the highest rate of price rises for over 20 years.

And earlier hopes that prices would quickly fall have been overtaken by the impact of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is pushing up prices by reducing the supply of energy and a range of food commodities.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) says the impact of this falls hardest on the most vulnerable countries, at a time when the world is trying to recover from the recession and increased inequalities exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. But it’s hitting living standards everywhere.

Marking May Day last weekend, ICTU published a new report comparing the value of the social wage – free or cheap publicly-funded services – for workers in Ireland and the EU. 

It found that a lack of public provision left Irish workers on modest wages paying much more than other EU citizens for essentials like housing, healthcare and childcare.

Meanwhile NERI says that, while uncertainty and inflation will negatively impact consumption and investment decisions in Ireland, it’s unlikely to cause a recession. It forecasts that domestic demand should grow by close to 4% this year and next.

ICTU’s Private Sector Committee has increased its targets for pay increases in light of inflation, and Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has said additional pay increases are also needed to stabilise the public service Building Momentum agreement.

“While the various Government measures go a little way to address the effect of the cost-of-living crisis, workers can’t be expected to bear the increased cost of living on their own. All employers who can afford it will have to assist with efforts to maintain living standards through the normal bargaining processes,” he said.

He added that unions also wanted to avoid a ‘wage-price spiral’ where pay increases start to fuel inflation. “But we must strike the right balance. We can’t end up destroying consumer confidence and affecting jobs and exchequer returns unintentionally,” he said.

The World Bank’s vice president Indermit Gilt also urged Governments to “take every opportunity to increase economic growth at home and avoid actions that will bring harm to the global economy” when he launched the Bank’s latest economic assessment last month.

John Rossiter, who died on 30th April 2022, was a customs officer, a GAA referee and inspector of referees, and a collector of thousands of CDs. For a period of about 15 years, up to his retirement in 2012, he was among the most important decision makers in the Public Service Executive Union (PSEU), one of the forerunners of Fórsa.

John gained that status having formed a ‘slate’ of like-minded candidates who were a considerable, and sometimes dominant, bloc on the union’s executive committee. While he loved the intrigue of elections, he never lost sight of the purpose and he saw his role as ensuring sensible, pragmatic approaches by the union to advance the interests of members.

This approach had national impact in 2010. After negotiations concluded on what was to become the Croke Park agreement, some unions rushed out to denounce its terms and the mood music was negative. John had a clear view of the value of an agreement that staved off further pay cuts and persuaded the PSEU executive that it was important to generate positive momentum behind the potential agreement by conducting a speedy ballot that he was confident would carry within the union.

He reasoned that this would persuade waverers in other unions. So it was that the PSEU was to first union to complete a ballot in favour of the agreement. The agreement was to be valuable to all public servants and provided some rare stability for a three-year period in an economy that was in a downward tailspin.

That sort of nous had been learned over many years of activism. John had been an elected officer in the Irish Customs and Excise Union when it decided to merge into the PSEU. He knew and understood the internal dynamics of membership organisations and he applied a clarity of thought and implacability in argument on issues that he regarded as important.

That made him a contentious figure in some eyes but nobody could ever doubt his absolute commitment to achieving what he perceived as right for the members. He had no time for theoretical arguments or for anything that he regarded as irrelevant or impractical.

As a result, when he chaired meetings, they proceeded briskly and he would cut short debate that he judged to be leading nowhere.

John was a source of advice and support to many union members and activists and a frequent counsellor to PSEU officials, to whom he offered support so long as they demonstrated to his satisfaction that it was deserved.

John exercised decisive influence without ever engaging in rhetoric or speech-making. His was a low key, behind the scenes approach. It was an approach that was hugely relevant in securing the merger of the customs grades into the general service in Revenue and was subsequently helpful in the merging of taxes grades into the general service.

When John was made an honorary life member of the PSEU in 2012, nobody could have been prouder. It meant a great deal to him.

John spent almost his entire career in customs, most of it in his native Wexford. He was a proud father and grandfather, and it is to his family our thoughts must turn at this sad time for them. They have lost a valued and loved family member.

The rest of us are left to mourn the loss of a great friend and comrade. A clear mind and an activist heart have been stilled and the world is the worse for it. He has earned his rest.

Tom Geraghty is a former general secretary of the PSEU and former joint general secretary of Fórsa.

Fórsa has welcomed the recent announcement of increased funding and meaningful engagement on a strategic plan for the national parks and wildlife service (NWPS). But the union said it will be insisting on full consultation in advance of any proposed changes.

A Government-approved strategic action plan for the NPWS, published earlier this week, sets out an ambitious timeline for a full restructuring of the NPWS alongside a €55 million investment in the organisation across three budgetary cycles.

This will included the early recruitment of 60 staff for critically important roles. Budget 2022 had allocated €47 million for the NWPS, but this was only on par with the funding for the service at 2008 levels.

Fórsa official Shay Clinton said the proposed new executive agency status for NPWS was particularly welcome as the service had not received the resources or status required, having been moved from one Government department to another over recent years.

“New EU regulations and responsibilities without matching funding and staffing has placed increasing pressures on staff structures over recent years. This was reflected in the review and is no surprise to the union who surveyed members and made a detailed submission on same,” he said.

The recent review said that extra staffing for the NPWS was urgently required, and called for an independent assessment of the NPWS staffing requirements currently and in the period ahead.

The new strategic action plan aims to deliver a more resilient, better resourced, and better equipped organisation to play its part in Ireland’s response to the biodiversity emergency, on the national and international stage.

The plan will also equip the NPWS with the organisational capability and supporting structures to enable it to deliver its mandate in protecting our natural heritage.

“The implementation of the strategic plan up to 2024 is achievable although there are many recommendations in the review which will require more government investment,” said Shay and pointed to the fact that the review acknowledged the ongoing commitment and dedication of staff, while highlighting the need for greater leadership and improved internal communications.

Shay further clarified that although the proposed new agency is currently under the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, there “needed to be stability and longer-term commitment particularly during the implementation of a new strategic plan.”

Fórsa is ready and willing to engage with management on improving services and staffing levels. The union represents all technical and professional grades along with administrative staff within the NPWS service.

The announcement fulfils a commitment contained in the Programme for Government, providing for a significant investment in, and a renewal of, the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Read the strategic action plan HERE.

Fórsa’s menstrual health survey closes at noon on Thursday 12th May. If you haven’t already, take five minutes out to fill in this questionnaire and inform the union’s policies and work in this important area.

The union has received very engaging responses from Fórsa members, and is looking to hear from all those who didn’t get a chance to fill out the survey the first time around.

Participation in the survey is completely anonymous, and your personal details will not be shared with anyone else. Fill out our survey HERE.

Research shows that almost 14% of women have missed work because of their period, with 3.5% reporting period related absenteeism month on month.

Issues around women’s experiences of menopause are also gaining more attention, with people becoming more aware of how this can affect women’s presence in the workplace.

A recent survey by Fórsa’s Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Branch received a very engaging response from people who took the time to share their experiences.

Of those who responded, one in five said that they had been diagnosed with a specific condition such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. This is representative of broader society where one in ten people who menstruate are thought to have endometriosis, with up to 25% suffering menstrual issues.

The Branch has also brought a motion to this year’s biennial conference to further alleviate the stigma surrounding this issue in the workplace.

The recent announcement that the civil service is to develop a menstrual health policy is more evidence of an overdue acceptance that women’s reproductive health can have a major impact on their working lives.

One aspect Fórsa was interested in exploring was the impact of remote working when it came to menstruation and menopause. Almost four-fifths of those participating in the survey said that remote working had improved their experience of menstruation, with almost one-in-nine agreeing that not having to travel to work when tired, or experiencing cramps, was a positive.

When it came to people’s experience of menopause, over 80% of respondents felt that access to flexible arrangements including remote working on ad hoc basis as required would help. Better training for managers and staff was also considered important by 81% of those participating in the survey.

The branch had also asked if people thought their workplace should have a workplace period-friendly policy, with measures including better toilet facilities, wipe-down darker fabrics and flexible working. Nearly all of those who expressed an opinion said hey wanted to see a policy introduced, and Fórsa wanted to see whether this opinion was reflected within its wider membership.

Fórsa aims to lift the taboo around this issue in the workplace, and you can help by filling out our survey HERE. 

Help improve the way we view menstrual health at work by telling us about your experience.

A former Ryanair pilot in the UK has been successful in a ‘bogus self-employment’ claim against Ryanair at a British employment tribunal. The pilot was working as a contractor pilot, supplied to Ryaniar through McGinley Aviation (MCG).

The case emerged as Fórsa official Katie Morgan was named as one of two ICTU representatives on an Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment working group on the determination of employment status.

Chaired by Minister of State Damien English, the group is comprised of employer and union representatives and aims to give stakeholders the opportunity to engage on the issue of false self-employment and discuss the potential to improve systems by which correct employment status can be determined.

Assisted by the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), the UK pilot argued that he was an ‘agency worker’ of Ryanair, meaning he should have been entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as directly-employed Ryanair pilots.

Balpa’s newsletter reports that the tribunal found the pilot was not self-employed but a worker and a crew member of MCG, in addition to being an agency worker of Ryanair. It found that the pilot “had no say in anything. He just did what he was told. This is the polar opposite of running a business.”

The tribunal also observed that the pilot had “no choice as to the vehicle through which” he was to be engaged as this was “non-negotiable,” and there was a “complete imbalance of power.” It described the involvement of the service company (MCG) in these arrangements as a “fiction in practice.”

Working group

Katie said the establishment of the Irish working group marked the beginning of reviewing employment status and bogus practices.

“Our hope is to improve worker protections by addressing the problem of bogus self-employment. This has been a topic of interest within our division. Ialpa brought a motion to our divisional conference last year in which they highlighted how Irish law currently facilitates, and even encourages bogus self-employment in many sectors of the economy.

“Many who are caught in these bogus arrangements are not there by choice. In most cases, they agree to these arrangements as there’s no offer of a directly employed job. A UK supreme court judgement marked a very serious challenge to these bogus self-employment practices last year.

“Fórsa will use this process to explore all the possible avenues through which these exploitative practices can be wiped out, worker protections improved and that all other aspects of workplace safety and protections are properly implemented,” she said.

Almost 700 representatives of Fórsa members across the country will meet in Killarney on 18th May for the first in-person delegate conference since the onset of the Covid pandemic. Debate at the three-day event is expected to be dominated by the issue of living standards against the background of high inflation.

The event takes place hot on the heels of the Government’s acceptance of an independent report on the restoration of additional working time introduced for many public servants under the 2013 Haddington Road agreement, and the start of new talks on public service pay.

It will hear contributions from Nicolas Schmit, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, ICTU general secretary Patricia King, and Rosa Pavanelli of the international union federation Public Services International (PSI).

Post-pandemic recovery, jobs growth, climate action and the nationwide housing crisis will also feature strongly on the agenda of the conference, which sets union policy for the next two years.

A number of fringe events have also been arranged.

All Fórsa members can follow the conference proceedings HERE and the conference agenda and other documents are available HERE.

We’ll be featuring reports on the conference in our next Fórsa bulletins.

Dust down your lycra and dig out your helmets. It’s time to sign up for the Fórsa conference cycle again, and help raise much-needed funds for charity.

Conference delegates and their supporters will cycle some or all of the route between Limerick and the Fórsa national conference in Killarney next month.

Departing at 8.30am from the South Court Hotel in Limerick on the morning of 18th May, the peloton will arrive in Killarney in time for registration. A van has been arranged to transport bikes from Dublin to Limerick, and back to Dublin again if needed.

The initiative which has been running since 2008 has raised over €230,000 to date.

Organised by Fórsa’s head of health Éamonn Donnelly and head of local government Dessie Robinson, he cycle raises much needed funds for small charities based in communities throughout the country.

Reassuringly, you don’t need to be a professional to take part. “There is still plenty of time to register for the cycle – you can do a little or a lot – just take part, you will enjoy the craic on the way to Killarney,” explained Dessie.

Dessie says it’s a fun event. “It’s about having a great time while raising money for smaller local charities that don’t have large budgets to back the important work they do. In the past we’ve helped organisations supporting mental health, suicide prevention, and cancer support,” he said.

Éamonn appealed for branches to get behind members representing them, and help them to raise money and prepare for the event itself. “We fully understand that there have been huge demands on branches to contribute to charities this year, but we would ask you to make a donation, however small it may be and remember, if your branch makes a donation, they can nominate a local or a national charity,” he said.

For more information, or to get involved, contact Linda Casey.

The ‘social wage’ for workers in Ireland is exceptionally low by EU standards according to latest research by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), which was published to mark May Day last weekend.

The Social Wage: Public services and income supports in Ireland and the EU also finds that Ireland is the second most expensive country in the European Union after Denmark, with prices 36% above the EU average.

The report compares the value of the social wage – free or cheap State-provided public services –for workers in Ireland and a selection of other rich EU countries. This includes welfare spending, unemployment benefits, housing and childcare.

ICTU social policy officer Laura Bambrick said Irish workers on modest wages have to pay market prices for essentials services that workers in other EU state get free on the basis of need, irrespective of the size of their pay packet.

“For example, a full-time worker in rural Ireland earning not much more than minimum wage is ineligible for social housing. Only one-in-seven over-18s in employment hold a medical card, and just one-in28 hold a GP visiting card, because the maximum earnings threshold to qualify for public-funded primary healthcare is so low,” she said.

Fórsa has led ICTU calls for a more generous social wage to reduce the inflation squeeze on wages. Free or heavily subsidised public services reduce people’s out-of-pocket expenses and bring down their cost of living. They act as a virtual income top-up to people’s cash income from work or welfare.

The union says the lack of low-cost public services added an immense strain on people’s expenses and cost of living, which affected minimum wage earners and those in vulnerable occupations the most.

A stark finding from the report also found that in the vital area of housing, which include utilities bills, costs in Ireland were higher than anywhere else in the union, at nearly 78% more expensive than the average.

The report concluded that there was “wide public support” for putting a strong safety net in place to protect people’s standard of living against common risks. This can only be done through timely and meaningful consideration on the role for government with respect to expanding access to affordable housing, child and adult care, free healthcare and education, and heavily subsidised and sufficient public transport, it says.

Read the full report HERE.

Fórsa is to host a series of lunchtime webinars taking a deeper look at each of the proposals in its recently-launched report on the ‘Irish state post-pandemic.’ The report explored the political and economic space for enhancing the role of the State, improve public services, improve social mobility, reduce inequality, and integrate climate action into economic development.

Join us on 12th May for the first event in this series, which provides an analysis of the economic space for a post-pandemic Irish State. 

The discussion takes place from 12.30-1.30pm and will look at spending deficits and taxation deficits, and the borrowing capacity of the Irish state. Ireland has options in terms of how it can increase revenue and borrowing conditions have been exceptionally benign in recent years. This event will explore those options and what they mean for Ireland.

Speakers include Professor Mary Murphy, Head of Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, Siptu researcher Michael Taft, and economist Paul Goldrick Kelly.

Throughout the rest of the series we will also be looking at the political space for this much needed change as well as examining what the State might look like post pandemic. The series will also look at opportunities for a post-pandemic Northern Ireland.

You can sign up to attend the webinars HERE. 

You can read the report HERE.

Fórsa members in the community and voluntary sector were told that it was time Government ministers showed them the respect they deserved after 14 years without any pay improvements.

Addressing the rally of community and voluntary sector members Fórsa official Catherine Keogh said fine words and promises from Government ministers were not enough.

“Ministers will meet with union officials and give us fine words about how our members are doing great work providing disability services, and say ‘we’ll make sure to do something,’ but they do nothing. It is sickening, it is wrong, and it has to end,” she said.

Catherine described 14 years without pay improvement in the community and voluntary sector as shocking and abhorrent.

“I’m using strong language because I feel strongly. You’re working the hardest jobs in this country, with no respect. Somebody needs to give you respect, and we’re going to get it for you.

“You shouldn’t have to take to the streets and take strike action, and I hope I never have to see you out on the streets again, unless it’s to celebrate you getting a pay rise. We will fight and we will win for you,” she said.

Hundreds joined the national day of protest on Tuesday (3rd May) in response to what the unions describe as the “neglect and underfunding” of community sector services.

The ‘Valuing Care Valuing Community’ protest marked the commencement of a national campaign, which will include industrial action aimed at ending the State’s neglect of the community and voluntary sector, and highlight the need for better pay and respect of their roles.

Catherine said the Government’s failure to adequately fund the sector was having a severe impact on the retention of staff, which in turn was having a devastating effect on essential public services to some of the most vulnerable and marginalised citizens and communities. “Fórsa published a report last September which identified very high annual staff exit rates by health and social care professionals from agencies funded by the HSE. The rate of departure is up to 33% annually, and this has led, inevitably, to a decline in the quality of service delivery.

“In many cases community sector and Section 39 organisation workers are poorly paid, have poor or no pension provision and lack security of employment. This is despite providing important health and social services to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members of our society. The only realistic solution is to rebuild and refinance the voluntary and community sector with a more sustainable and appropriate funding model,” she said.

Funding

Unions have said the denial of funding for improvements in pay and conditions of employment is unacceptable and have been further critical of moves to privatise and commercialise some services, including local employment services (LES) and job clubs.

Unions have warned that privatisation of these services are likely to have profound negative consequences for society and the citizens and communities that rely on them. This week it was revealed that a US firm that has been criticised for its handling of social welfare schemes in America met with the Department of Social Protection weeks before a tender for local area employment services was announced.

Fórsa assistant general secretary Lynn Coffey said the entry of predatory US firms into the sector was a cause of deep concern.

“These are companies whose only objective is the generation of profit. The outsourcing of LES or jobs clubs to such firms can only lead to a decline in the quality of service delivery as they pursue profits at the expense of community-led services,” she said.

Fórsa members have been asked to support a petition calling for the release of over a dozen Belarusian trade unionists arrested by the KGB last month for speaking out against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and standing up for workers’ rights. You can sign the petition HERE. 

The arrests and detainment of union leaders has been condemned by Amnesty International, the International Labour Organisation and unions across the globe.

The detained trade union activists include almost all of Belarus’s independent union leaders. Among them were President of Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) Alexandr Yarashuk, vice-president Siarhei Antusevich, and the head of the Free Belarusian Trade Union Mikalaj Sharakh.

For decades the independent trade union movement in Belarus has taken a strong stand against the dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

Despite a severe political crackdown, the BKDP has openly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the territory of Belarus.

Fórsa members have also been asked to share the petition links with colleagues, friends and family. Watch this SHORT VIDEO.

Fórsa members can continue to avail of free counselling, legal advice and domestic assistance by contacting the union’s helplines, which now have new phone numbers. Qualified personnel are on hand to support Fórsa members 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the following lines:

• Legal help in bodily injury cases: 0818-776644
• Legal advice: 0818-776644
• Confidential counselling: 1800-776655
• Domestic assistance: 0818-776644

Fórsa members can also avail of a health information service, staffed by qualified nurses, on health and fitness and non-diagnostic advice on medical matters. Advice on allergies, the side effects of drugs and how to improve general fitness are also available as part of this service.

The health and medical information line can be reached on 0818 254164, and is available 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public and bank holidays.

If you call outside these times, a message will be taken and a return call arranged within the operating hours. More information can be found HERE.