Fórsa has criticised the children’s charity Barnardos, as it has emerged the organisation has retained funds paid by the State to honour last year’s WRC pay agreement for workers in the community and voluntary sector. 

Fórsa represents staff at Barnardos and was one of the unions that negotiated a pay agreement for workers providing health and welfare services in the community and voluntary sector last October. 

The October 2023 agreement helped to avert an indefinite work stoppage by thousands of workers in the sector, which continues to experience significant staff turnover as workers secure better paid employment in other sectors.

Fórsa official Louise O’Hara explained that Barnardos management has withheld the State funds and refused to honour an agreed eight per cent increase, in three phases, and backdated to 1st April 2023. 

Louise added: “Barnardos has, so far, only sanctioned one increase of four percent, which was delivered in March, followed by a once-off payment for lower-paid staff (under €35,000). That still leaves another four percent, and the required retrospection, to be paid, and is now long overdue.

“Barnardos management has argued that the funds provided by the State was to compensate the organisation for a 6.5 percent pay increase made in 2022. It’s an outrageous and disingenuous claim, and is an attempt to sidestep Barnardos’ obligations under the terms of the 2023 agreement, 

“The State funds were provided solely in respect of this agreement, not for any other pay arrangements. There is no provision in the agreement for an employer to retain the funding for pay as a re-imbursement, especially not for decisions on pay uplifts prior to the 2023 agreement being reached,” she said.

Louise said Barnardos management has so far ignored efforts by Fórsa to engage constructively: “The employer, a trusted children’s charity, has declined an invitation from the WRC to attend conciliation."

“Barnardos has more than €15m in unrestricted reserves and has been provided with the necessary funds – taxpayer’s money - to deliver on the 2023 WRC pay terms. Why isn’t it using those funds as intended? By withholding these funds Barnardos is imposing further financial hardship on their staff,” she said.

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