Most staff in the education sector will see their pay increase by 1.75% from this month. The increase, which takes effect from 1st September, was negotiated by Fórsa as part of the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA).

However, the increase does not apply to staff – including many school secretaries – who are not directly employed by the Department of Education and Skills.

This is the second PSSA pay adjustment to be implemented this year. The pay of education staff who earn less than €30,000 a year went up by 1% in January, while those earning over €30,000 benefited from a reduced contribution to the 'additional superannuation contribution,’ which replaced the so-called ‘pension levy’ under the PSSA.

There were also two increases - each worth 1% - in 2018. Next year will see a further adjustment in the additional superannuation contribution in January, and a 2% pay increase is due in October. The PSSA expires at the end of 2020.

The union is currently updating the pay scales on the Fórsa website.