Fórsa’s newest civil service branch is looking for clerical officers to be co-opted onto the branch committee. The new branch is also seeking input from members in the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) at all grades to come on board.

The new branch brings together clerical officer and executive grades (EO, HEO, AO) and equivalent in the OGP, OGCIO, Ombudsman’s office, DPER and Department of Finance.

Fórsa assistant general secretary Pat Ennis said the new branch was established to reflect changes in employer structures and the union branches that previously covered the area.

“One of the biggest changes was that the National Shared Services Office was moved out of DPER and was established as a separate large entity. Members there formed a new branch. Separately, the Finance and DPER executive branch had become dormant,” he said.

The new branch – named Finance, PER and Associated Organisations – was formed at an EGM in November and held its first annual general meeting earlier this year.

Branch chairperson Cathal Kelly said branch representatives had since represented members at meetings of departmental councils in DPER, Finance, and the Ombudsman’s office.

“We have also been consulted by HR in the three employers on issues like draft notices of competitions, and have had the chance to give feedback before they are issued to staff when we spotted something that we felt should be changed,” he said.

Branch secretary Sheena Tuite said the branch committee did not yet include Fórsa members who work in the OGP or OGCIO. “This is a particular problem in the OGP because it has its own departmental sub-council, and our branch committee members employed in the other offices and departments do not ordinarily attend the OGP departmental council to advise our official or represent our colleagues on the issues discussed at it,” she said.

Fórsa members in the OGCIO can currently be represented at the DPER departmental council by the branch representatives employed by DPER, but this may change down the road.

“It would be great to have committee members from the OGCIO because they are best placed to identify and address the issues facing staff in their own workplace,” said Sheena.

To ensure good representation across the grades and offices, members of the branch who are COs or who are in the OGP or OGCIO, and who are willing to assist the branch committee or are open to being co-opted onto it are asked to contact Pat Ennis by email at patennis@forsa.ie.

In addition, any members of the new branch who did not get the notices for the EGM or AGM can contact Monica Rooney at mrooney@forsa.ie to get their contact details added to the branch committee’s mailing list.