Speaking at last Saturday’s AGM of Fórsa’s School Secretaries branch, assistant general secretary Shane Lambert urged delegates to speak to their school caretaker colleagues about joining the union.

With discussions with the Department of Education and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ongoing, Shane said it is vital to ensure school caretakers are in union membership before the process ends.

An inaugural AGM for caretakers last November saw a formal branch executive committee established, elected by members, to represent caretakers in the ongoing WRC talks.

Shane told the School Secretaries AGM that there is an agreement in principle, reflecting the terms of last year’s breakthrough deal for school secretaries while some outstanding issues, specific to caretaker roles, require further discussion with the department.

Shane urged the 200 school secretaries present to talk to their colleagues and ensure that caretakers in their schools are aware of the benefits of union membership: “Building our schools caretaker membership will be the key to providing the necessary strength to deliver a deal, and to take the new branch from strength to strength. The School Secretaries branch have shown how it can be done, there is a great foundation there for us all to build on,” he said.