The union has had a preliminary meeting with the HSE to discuss the restoration of ‘twilight’ payments for Fórsa grades.

The payment – which sees staff paid at ‘time and one-sixth’ for working between six and eight o’clock in the evening – was discontinued in 2011. It was subsequently restored in some areas of nursing, but not for clerical staff of social care workers.

Fórsa tabled the issue at last years’ pay talks, which led to the Public Service Stability Agreement. The deal included a commitment to a process to deal with the union’s claim.