The Fórsa Insights series is proud to present a special performance of Lisa Walsh's groundbreaking play Love In The Wild, following its successful run in Dublin theatres last Spring. This exclusive performance by Anto Seery will take place at the union's headquarters in Dublin on Thursday 13th September at 6pm.

Love In The Wild is a new play written by Lisa Walsh, and made its premiere at the Axis theatre in Ballymun earlier this year. Lisa is a member of Fórsa and is a social worker with Tusla. She is currently working in child protection having previously worked as a medical social worker and an addiction worker.

Fórsa Insights is a specially curated series of talks and cultural events open to Fórsa members, ICTU affiliates and NGOs. The aim is to explore a wide range of issues including human rights, climate change, migration, homelessness and the experience of campaigning for workers rights across the globe. 

“The play is a one-man show about a man called Ger Duffy. He’s from Ballymun on Dublin’s north side. He’s on a methadone programme and he’s journeying through addiction and through big changes in his life. He has a strong connection to wildlife and nature, which helps explain how he sees the world, a way that’s quite different to how most people see it. The play is about love, it’s about judgment but hopefully it’s also about redemption. He’s not the stereotype of an addict, there are many layers to Ger and many layers to his story.” - playwright Lisa Walsh.

This exclusive performance of Lisa Walsh's critically acclaimed play is free to Fórsa members. To book your seat, send an email to Fórsa Insights.

Visit loveinthewild.ie.  

Watch the Love In The Wild trailer here:

The agreement, covering base transfers and command upgrades and related seniority principles, followed mediated talks between the union and Ryanair management.

Pilots voted unanimously to back the agreement.

IALPA issued a statement yesterday (5th September):

"IALPA members were consulted on the tentative agreement by way of a secret ballot that was launched on 24 August. Today’s results show that 100% of pilots believe this proposal to be the first step towards providing transparency and fairness for Ryanair pilots while also assisting Ryanair in recruiting and retaining pilots in the future.

"Although acknowledging that relations have been difficult in the past between IALPA and Ryanair, IALPA is committed to building a constructive relationship with Ryanair based on mutual respect and a shared future, starting with this initial Collective Agreement on Seniority.

"Captain Joe May Spokesperson for IALPA said “While our members fully respect Ryanair’s operational model, they no longer accept the company’s highly problematic employment model. After decades of declining terms & conditions, pilots in Ryanair have now firmly found a unified voice. When pilots are treated fairly and transparently by an airline, they will be motivated to contribute to their airline’s success, stay at the company and make their career with that airline.”

The dispute over management’s approach to transferring pilots between its European and African bases saw directly employed pilots at the airline engage in five days of industrial action in July and August.

Fórsa has signed an agreement with Ryanair making the union the sole negotiating union for directly employed Ryanair cabin crew in Ireland.

The agreement was signed at the end of August by Fórsa officials, cabin crew representatives and Ryanair management.

Fórsa assistant general secretary Ashley Connolly said the agreement marked a new, and very significant, milestone in the development of collective bargaining at the airline.

Ashley said: “This is a very positive development and we’re proud to be in a position now to represent Ryanair cabin crew. We’ve been working with our cabin crew members towards securing this agreement.

“Together we look forward to growing our membership and securing improvements in terms and conditions as the negotiating union for Ryanair cabin crew,” she said.

Ashley confirmed the union will also seek engagement with cabin crew agencies contracted to the airline.

Speaking to Newstalk FM last week, Ashley said the union wouldn't be intimidated by Ryanair's approach to industrial relations: "I think that Fórsa has proven itself over the years to be equally as tough when required and when needed. It is important that, for the first time in Ryanair, cabin crew members have a voice. They will be to the forefront of any discussions I have and they will be present at every meeting that I carry out with the company," she said.

Fórsa has said it is open to discussing management’s proposal for a voluntary redundancy programme in An Post once the level of interest among staff becomes clear. But the union warned it would not accept compulsory job losses.

The semi-state announced on the 15th August that it intends to invite applications for voluntary severance from managers and staff across all corporate centre and support services this month.

On a related issue, Fórsa said it understood that no decision had yet been made in relation to the future of the iconic GPO building in Dublin’s O’Connell Street. Rather, An Post’s board has said it will explore the options of refurbishing the GPO or looking at alternative accommodation for back office staff based there.

Regarding reports that the company wants to cut 300 jobs, Fórsa official Denis Keane said: “An Post has indicated that it will launch a voluntary leaver programme in September. The important word here is voluntary. The union has not yet been in any real discussions about this, but we will do that once the level of interest among our members is established. We have made clear to management that no compulsory job losses would be acceptable to us, and we are reassured that none are planned.”

There have been no detailed discussions on the future of the GPO building either as the company is only exploring options at this stage. It has said that the main post office in the GPO will be maintained. “We will expect to be in discussions with the company as soon as its review is completed,” said Denis.

Trade unions, political parties, students’ unions, housing agencies & community and campaign groups have joined forces to urge action on the housing crisis. The ‘Raise the Roof’ initiative brings together a wide range of key civil society bodies to demand radical new action on the housing crisis, including support for a rally at Leinster House on Wednesday 3rd October in advance of the budget.

The new initiative was launched today (Thursday 6th September) in Dublin.

Today's launch included representatives from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the National Homeless & Housing Coalition, the Union of Students in Ireland, the National Women’s Council and from the housing and homeless NGO sector.

Participating groups have called for support for the lunchtime rally outside Leinster House on Wednesday 3rd October, which has been organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

The rally has been called in support of an opposition party motion on housing that is scheduled to be debated in the Dáil that day.

The motion calls for radical new action on the housing crisis and is supported by Sinn Fèin, People Before Profit, the Labour Party, Solidarity, the Social Democrats and the Green Party, with others expected to add their support.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has produced a quick guide to the Government’s proposed changes to the old-age contributory pension scheme. The factsheet is available to download here. 

The Congress submission on reform of the state pension is also available here.

Fórsa's reports on the union's lobbying activities for the period 1st May to 31st August 2018, is due for submission on the 21st September. Union officials are currently finalising their submissions under the requirements of the legislation.

Fórsa is registered as a lobbying organisation and is required to report any lobbying activity undertaken by full time officials, or when the union instructs members/branches to lobby in ‘grassroots’ campaigns.

Fórsa member activists are not required to report lobbying activity, even if it is carried out on the union’s behalf. The responsibility to report any activity of this kind rests with the relevant official.

We will publish the latest submissions in the members' news bulletins later in September.

For more see Fórsa's previous reports at Lobbying.ie

Fórsa officials Dessie Robinson and Éamonn Donnelly made a presentation to Caroline McGuigan from (SOS) Suicide or Survive in Dublin. The second presentation was made to Limerick Suicide Watch at Fórsa’s Limerick office.  

The cyclists travelled from Limerick to Killarney on the opening day of Fórsa's national conference in May. Eamonn and Dessie have led the cycling event to national conference since IMPACT's national conference in 2008, raising funds for a number of charities.

A ‘single scheme estimator tool,’ which indicates the retirement benefits that public servants hired after 1st January 2013 can expect, is now available. The tool covers standard-grade members of the single public service pension scheme who are currently employed in a pensionable capacity in the Irish public service.

Most standard grades can use the tool if they are single pension scheme members, but others – including Garda, prison officers and members of the defence forces – can’t.

Fórsa official Billy Hannigan welcomed the introduction of single scheme estimator tool, saying the union had been calling for it for some time.

He added that there was a need for greater clarification from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) on the finalisation of a scheme to enable members to transfer or purchase benefits. The union is in ongoing contact with DPER on the issue.

Billy also said the union was seeking an assurance that workers will get annual benefit statements.

The single scheme estimator tool is available here , and further information is available here.

Fórsa trade union is to study the first Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) report into public service recruitment and retention issues, which was published on Tuesday (4th September).

The latest report looks into nursing, medical consultants, and non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs). Future reports will study recruitment and retention issues for other public service grades identified by the PSPC in its initial (2017) report.

The reports are being produced to fulfil a commitment in the public service pay deal – the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) – which commits the pay commission to analyse the causes of recruitment and retention difficulties in specific areas of the public sector. The agreement also requires the Commission to recommend options to deal with these problems.

The Government approved the terms of reference for this examination in October 2017, after which the PSPC invited submissions from unions representing grades identified in its original report.

Fórsa made written submissions on behalf of named grades in the health sector and the civil service, which will be the subject of future pay commission reports. The union put forward evidence to show that the civil service is struggling to recruit staff in many areas because salaries are not keeping pace with those available in comparable private sector jobs. It made similar arguments in respect of various health and social care professions.

The full report is available here.

Aer Lingus cabin crew based in Belfast have accepted a ballot on a revised pay agreement, worth a total of 5%, which covers the period October 2017 to September 2019.

Cabin crew on the maximum point of their scales are set to receive a pay adjustment of 2.5% dating back to October 2017. A further 2.5% increase is due in October 2018.

The agreement also provides for performance-related rewards for meeting/exceeding key performance indicators (KPIs) and an increased commission on domestic flights, up from 8.25% to 10%.

KPI targets for 2017 have already been met and will be paid within a month. Fórsa official Ashley Connolly, who negotiated the deal, said she understood that crew are also on target to meet KPIs in 2018. If targets are met, crew will receive payment for 2018 in January.

The revised agreement was negotiated earlier this year with Aer Lingus management, and Fórsa members within the Belfast cabin crew were balloted on the deal in August. The ballot was returned unanimously in favour of accepting the deal.

Ashley also confirmed that discussions on a successor agreement, to take effect from the summer of 2019, will commence shortly.

Fórsa’s newly formed youth network will host an event, Youthquake, on 20th September in Wynn’s Hotel in Dublin.

The secretary of Fórsa’s youth network, Yvette Kelly, said the aim of the event is to trigger a youthquake in the trade union movement, by engaging younger members, encouraging them play an active role in tackling issues that affect them.

While the event will focus on the youth movement, all members are welcome to attend.

The event will include a variety of speakers to discuss issues pertinent to younger workers. Precarious work, pay inequality and the housing crises are just some of the topics up for discussion.

Yvette Kelly said there is a need now for more active engagement: “There has been a youthquake across Irish society expressed in social movements. We saw this when there was active youth participation in the marriage equality referendum. A similar movement and youth engagement in unions is pivotal for a stronger union and for an equal future for our members.”

For more information on the event, and to keep up to date with the youth network click here.

Download poster for event here.

Fórsa is inviting eligible members and activists to apply to its third level grant support scheme, which gives limited financial assistance to those undertaking certified educational courses – up to third level – that will assist them in carrying out their union representative role.

The scheme does not cover courses designed to enhance professional or career development unless they also improve a member’s ability to act as a Fórsa rep.

Applicants, who must be fully paid-up Fórsa members, can only apply by completing the approved application form, and they must also have the support of their own Fórsa branch.

The closing date for applications is Friday 28th September 2018.

Full details of the application requirements and available support are available here.

The approved application form is available here.

As Fórsa’s social media presence continues to grow we’ve embraced the visual playground of Instagram.

Instagram has become increasingly popular, communicating to audiences using a creative combination of pictures, videos and text, and this year eclipsed Twitter in the rankings of social media popularity.

While its parent company (Facebook) continues to dominate, recent controversies have led to a migration of younger audiences away from the blue giant.

We hope to reach a new and wider audience on Instagram, and that our presence there will be attractive to Fórsa members looking to get involved and engage with the union.

To follow the Fórsa Instagram story, and keep up to date with all the latest union news and updates, click here.