The dispute at St Christopher's disability services in Longford ended just before Christmas as more than 90% of the 170 Fórsa members there backed a revised pay deal in a ballot.

Work-to-rule action by members was suspended to facilitate the ballot, the results of which were made known on 18th December last. Industrial action had been in place since mid-November, following the breach of a 2021 collective agreement on the payment of increments.

Following a series of direct engagements with St Christopher’s management in November and December, the union negotiated a set of proposals designed to bring the dispute to a conclusion.

Under the terms of the newly-ratified deal a series of steps will be taken in 2025 to harmonise the pay scales. 

From 1st January, all staff currently on the 2021 pay scale will move to the 2022 pay scale, and from 1st July 2025, all staff in St Christopher's will move to the October 2023 pay scale.  
In addition, St Christopher’s will move all qualifying staff (those who are not currently on the top of their scale) up one point on the scale, effective from 1st January.

Management has also committed to moving all qualifying staff up a further one point on the pay scale in 2025, subject to achieving €150k in cost savings, which will be ringfenced and used to finance this pay measure.

Fórsa official Tony Martin said the measures satisfied the union’s requirements to end the dispute, and the resolve and efforts of the members at St Christopher’s had helped to grow the union’s membership: “It’s been a long and very challenging road that Fórsa members have taken to reach this point.

“However, our efforts have been fruitful. The outcome is a testament to the unity shown by staff” he said.

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