On Monday 24th June Fórsa secured an agreement for additional supports in Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to resolve the persistent workload issues facing our members.  

The agreement is the single biggest allocation of additional posts to ETBs since their inception and will bring to an end the dispute between the parties.  It will lead to significant additional investment and include a range of support measures to assist in easing workload pressures. As a result, the union lifted the directive of non-cooperation with certain programmes which issued to members earlier in the year.

The agreement will see 70 additional posts (plus consequential posts) allocated to ETBs with immediate effect. This is the largest single allocation of additional posts to ETBs since they came into being. 

The investment package is worth almost €5m per annum. This is far in excess of what had been sought by ETBs in their request to the Department of Education, which followed engagement from the union. It will provide a much-needed boost for the ETB sector as a whole.  

Speaking about the agreement Fórsa assistant general secretary Shane Lambert said: “This is a big win for our members. It’s a hugely significant development. However, we also recognise that recruitment processes must now take place so it may be some time before pressure on our members will fully alleviate.”

“As such, in addition to the new posts, Fórsa have secured a range of interim measures to address the concerns of members in relation to their workloads and we will continue to monitor the implementation of the agreement whilst concerns regarding workloads remain.”

Fórsa agreed to the lifting of the current non-cooperation directive with immediate effect and has advised members to do their best to ensure deadlines are met within reason.  The union also reassured members it will vigilantly monitor the situation to ensure members are not subject to unreasonable pressure or workloads.

Shane continued  “Whilst the agreement will not bring about an immediate fix to the concerns we had raised, the significance of the investment which is the largest single allocation of additional posts since the inception of the ETBs is a positive step forward.”

“The addition of a significant number of posts within ETBs will provide promotional opportunities to our members, many of whom have worked above and beyond their contractual obligations, and it is long overdue.

The vital role ETBs play in our education sector must be fully recognised. They have to be adequately funded and staffed to deliver into the future, whilst also growing to meet the demand of an ever-evolving education sector.”

Shane concluded “I commend the members for their hard work and resolute support of each other in following the union directive to ensure that this outcome was achieved.  I believe it will bring significant benefits to both the members and the ETB sector overall”.