The Fórsa campaign for proper recognition of school secretaries and caretakers is set to intensify and escalate when schools re-open after the summer break, according to the union’s campaigns director. Speaking at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ conference last week, Joe O’Connor said industrial action by school secretaries was in prospect for the first time.

He said that most people, including trade unionists, were not aware that over 80% of school secretaries did not enjoy public service pay rates, pension arrangements or sick pay when seriously ill.

“Now is the time to end this two-tier system and to bring all school secretaries and caretakers into the public service family, to treat them in the same way as all other members of the school community, and to finally give them public service contracts and conditions,” he said.

Joe was speaking in support of an Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) motion which, among other things, drew attention to the situation of school secretaries and caretakers.