After a 13 year campaign by hospital pharmacists, those who wish to submit their details for the Advanced Specialist Pharmacists validation exercise have just a few weeks left to do so. The deadline for applications is midday on Monday 30th September. Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly urges members to avail of this hard-won opportunity and warns against a two-tier pharmacy workforce.

Fórsa, and other unions representing members providing health and welfare services in the community and voluntary sector, are due to return to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to continue negotiations on further adjustments in funding for the sector.

In August Fórsa launched a petition calling on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to intervene in the HSE decision to exclude Health and Social Care Professionals from the Senior Management Team in the new HSE Health Regions. Over 8000 of you have signed the petition. Read on to find out why sharing this petition across all your networks is absolutely vital.

Social care worker? Register now for the final CORU registration roadshow seminar next week!

Chris Cully, Assistant General Secretary in the Health and Welfare Division is a well-known figure across Fórsa branches and workplaces. Following her recent retirement, it would be remiss not to mark her contribution to the union at the end of era for Fórsa.

The scheme provides 80 grants of €150 each to assist children of Fórsa members attending residential Irish language courses in Gaeltacht areas next summer.

Fórsa is calling on the government to reinstate this tax relief, emphasising its importance for promoting collective bargaining and supporting union members. The absence of this relief is now viewed by many as a glaring inequity, especially when compared to the range of tax benefits still available to professional bodies and businesses.