Not all heroes wear capes
by Niall Shanahan
 
“Fórsa is unique in that we represent people in so many different grades and sectors involved in the Covid-19 response," said Fórsa lead organiser Kevin Donoghue.
“Fórsa is unique in that we represent people in so many different grades and sectors involved in the Covid-19 response," said Fórsa lead organiser Kevin Donoghue.

Fórsa’s social media campaign to highlight the work of members who are part of the coordinated effort to address the Covid-19 crisis continues this week.

 

Hidden Heroes focuses on individual Fórsa members, their grade and current programme of work, illustrating the wide variety of skills and duties necessary to address the current health crisis.

 

This week we featured physiotherapist Mary Kelly, hospital quality and safety specialist Paul Cully, surveillance scientist Benvon Deasy and Paul Byrne who works in communications with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

 

Fórsa lead organiser Kevin Donoghue is conducting a series of short interviews with members for the campaign. “We wanted to celebrate the diverse community of Fórsa members mobilising to fight the virus.

 

“Fórsa is unique in that we represent people in so many different grades and sectors involved in the Covid-19 response.

 

“There is an understandable tendency to think only of doctors, nurses and other medical staff, those we describe as ‘frontline’ workers in this context. They’re doing incredible work and it’s great to see their message - that all of us have individual responsibilities to stop the spread of Covid-19 – getting such a positive response nationwide.

 

“Our campaign is designed to complement that effort and that message. To show that those frontline workers aren’t alone, that there is a huge community of workers performing vital tasks, working in different ways and in different contexts to how they would usually work, and that each one of them is helping to make a difference,” he said.

 

Kevin is continuing to talk to members in local government, civil service, education, health and other sectors about their current programme of work in response to Covid-19. If you would like to take part in the campaign, please get in touch via the links below.

 

Retail and transport

While celebrating our own members involved in responding to the Covid-19 crisis, the union is mindful of other workers whose work has continued to make life more comfortable for all of us during these difficult times.

 

Retail workers and public transport staff continue to ensure that life can continue on as normally as possible, and deserve the nation’s gratitude.

 

We need to remember that in the course of their work they face a lot more exposure to the risk of infection than most of us. They need our protection as well as our gratitude, which is why it’s vitally important for us all to follow the rules on staying at home, social distancing and sticking with the HSE guidelines on keeping our communities safe.

 

Laura’s story

We were also struck by Laura Douglas’s story posted on social media this week. Laura is a speech and language therapist (SLT), originally from Donegal, and she shared her experience of arranging a video call between a patient with Covid-19 and his daughter before he passed away. Laura posted: “Of all the work I’ve done as an SLT recently, I feel a simple act of facilitating communication was the most worthwhile.”

 

Get involved – tell us your story

Tell us about your Covid-19 work for the Hidden Heroes campaign. Have you been reassigned? Are you working remotely? Please get in touch.

 

Contact Kevin Donoghue HERE or Niall Shanahan HERE with your contact details.

 

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