This week Fórsa referred a dispute to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) concerning the failure of Higher Education employers to implement a newly designed HE job evaluation scheme.

This scheme was designed over a three-year period following a campaign of industrial action taken by members in our Higher Education Branch across Technological Universities, Institutes of Technology and Mary Immaculate College.

While the scheme design was complete late in 2022 the employers still had not agreed to meet Fórsa to discuss implementation, citing concerns around funding. The 2018 agreement contains restrictive provisions which allow for 10% of Clerical Admin jobs from grades 3-6 to be evaluated each year based on seniority.

Fórsa asked the WRC to convene a conciliation conference to address the failure of the employer’s side to implement the agreement. In response, the employers have now offered potential dates for such a meeting to take place. The WRC referral will proceed towards conciliation to safeguard against any further delaying tactics.