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.