In December 2024, guidelines were finalised for strategic workforce planning in local authorities across the country that would include meaningful engagement with unions. Fórsa has consistently called for open, transparent, and collaborative workforce planning.   

Head of local government and local services, as well as the municipal employees divisions, Richy Carrothers said: “If it’s done well, workforce planning could have a positive impact on the sector. Resourcing teams properly enables workers to do the best job they can.”  

The union has long argued that workers must be at the centre of the process, with timely information sharing at local level as an essential part of the process.  

Richy continued: “Some local authorities have made significant progress in recent months and are following the guidelines and engaging well at local level. However, we’re disappointed that others have not. Workforce planning will set the staffing resources for the next decade; we negotiated an agreed process to be followed that includes the process for union engagement and we will ensure that it’s followed comprehensively.”  

“Workers know where the gaps are in terms of service delivery and the staffing needed to provide the public services local authorities are responsible for, so their input is absolutely fundamental to this process.”  

He concluded: “Local authorities must follow the agreed guidelines and engage with unions as they progress with workforce planning. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage needs to manage the adherence to due process by each local authority. Anything other than this will be selling workers and communities short of the much-needed services and staffing levels.”   

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