Special needs assistants (SNAs) are being denied equal provision of health and safety leave while pregnant, Fórsa has said.

The union said the provision of Health and Safety leave for pregnant SNAs also differs starkly to their colleagues. They are given just 21 days’ leave if they are deemed to be at risk in the working environment. This compares to leave for entire duration of the pregnancy for teachers.

This means SNAs have to use other leave to compensate for long-term absences if they encounter risk during the early stages of pregnancy.

Fórsa official Shane Lambert said that this demonstrated a clear disparity between the provisions afforded to teachers and SNAs. He said there was absolutely no justification for the same.

“In particular when you consider the potential risks posed to an SNA, where there is a greater risk of injury given the physical element of the role. It could legitimately be argued that it is that category of worker who may need to rely on health and safety leave to a greater extent,” he said.

The union says that any policy in this regard should be indiscriminate and the provisions should be afforded equally to all pregnant staff and not based on grade or role.

Shane said the union will be tabling this issue as a claim through industrial relations channels to seek a resolution, and that the matter would be referred to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) if necessary.

Meanwhile, it also emerged that breastfeeding staff were being awarded lesser provisions for breaks in comparison to teachers. The union took this issue to the WRC earlier this week.