The next phase of the healthcare worker vaccination programme, which focuses on those not in direct patient contact gets underway later today (26th March), when the HSE’s registration portal for ‘frontline’ staff will close, and preparations of the system for the next round begin.

Some 204,000 frontline healthcare workers have now received their first dose vaccination, which exceeds the HSE’s original estimates by more than 50,000. This means the HSE is now in a position to begin to ‘close out’ first dose vaccinations for this group.

Fórsa official Chris Cully said anyone registered on the healthcare worker portal prior to the closure today will be offered a vaccine as part of this group.

“The HSE has advised that specific arrangements will be required for new employees and staff returning from sick leave who have not been vaccinated, but who meet the criteria for frontline healthcare workers,” she said.

Chris, who attends the weekly vaccination briefings on behalf of Fórsa, said the HSE confirmed this week that the weekly supply of 40,000 Pfizer vaccines remains steady, with 25,000 units of the AstraZeneca vaccine on hand, and an additional 110K due for delivery by the middle of next week. Some additional training for the AstraZeneca vaccine has also been provided to vaccinators following advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).

“Recruitment of vaccinators is continuing. Around 4,000 people have applied to be vaccinators, and 2,000 of these are at an advanced stage in the recruitment process. Some 400 have now completed the process and are commencing work,” she said.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE. 

Discussions on sectoral bargaining for Fórsa members in health and social care settings will kick off shortly. The new public service agreement, which was overwhelming endorsed by union members last month, establishes a ‘sectoral bargaining fund’ worth 1% of basic pay, on top of two general round pay adjustments worth 1% each.

The sectoral fund can be used to deal with outstanding adjudications, recommendations and claims relevant to specific groups of workers within the health and welfare sector. Or groups can opt to take the 1% as a straight pay increase.

The sectoral bargaining process first requires both sides to identify the different groups of grades and staff categories that will be subject to negotiations. Once these ‘sectoral bargaining units’ are agreed, work can begin on how the additional 1% of pay will be distributed through sectoral bargaining.

Fórsa’s Health and Welfare Division is currently undertaking internal consultations about the make-up of the sectoral bargaining units. There will also be consultations with the union’s ‘equivalent grades committees’ regarding clerical and admin grades, which exist across the civil and public service.

Agreement on the shape of the sectoral bargaining groups is meant to be concluded by the end of next month. Payment of any sectoral awards is scheduled for 1^st February 2022.

Haddington Road hours

Separately, discussions are intensifying on the establishment of an independent body charged with addressing the so-called ‘Haddington Road hours,’ which are also being addressed under the new deal, called Building Momentum.

The body, which is to be set up by the end of this month, will take submissions from management and unions representing grades whose hours were increased under the 2013 Haddington Road deal.

It will make recommendations by the end of 2021. Rollout of these recommendations will begin within the lifetime of the agreement, with €150 million available to commence implementation during 2022.

Fórsa fought hard for the inclusion of the process in Building Momentum. As a result, workers whose hours were increased under the Haddington Road deal can expect to see reductions in working time from next year.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE. 

The Department of Health has been told to pay a Fórsa member €40,000 for age discrimination after the union took the case to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

The issue arose when the department failed to shortlist the worker for interview in an internal competition. Fórsa undertook a statistical analysis of the ages of the applicants, which showed a bias against candidates over 50 years of age.

The department rejected this argument, and said members of the shortlisting panel had been given unconscious bias training. The WRC adjudicator said this was insufficient.

Fórsa official Seán Carabini, who took the case, said the finding could have wider significance because it applies specifically to the shortlisting phase of a competition.

“A lot of the existing precedents on age discrimination in competitions focus on the interview or appointment stage. We hope that this ruling will help to ensure that transparency continues to be central to every element of competitive processes in the civil service,” he said.

It is not yet known if the employer will appeal the finding.

It’s never been more important – or easier – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.

Workers who wish to join Fórsa can to do so using a new ‘join online’ function on the union’s website.

Going live with the new system follows several months of research, preparation and testing aimed at making it easier than ever to join the union. It also goes live as the union continues to process a large number of new membership applications, as interest in joining the union has surged since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

Fórsa’s general secretary Kevin Callinan commented: “The current crisis has created the necessity to be able to carry out our business in different ways. Work on this project had commenced before the Covid-19 crisis took hold, and its completion marks a vital step as we tackle the challenges of living in changed times.

“We can see that more people want to join a union in response to what’s happening in the wider economy. It’s vital that they can take those initial steps quickly and easily, and making the membership application process more accessible is part of that process.

“This is a crucial new venture to enable Fórsa to substantially increase our membership - and to strengthen the union’s hand - at a critical time in the union’s development,” he said.

The online facility is a streamlined and simplified membership application process, and will be the quickest and easiest way to join the union. All incoming applications will continue to be subject to check-off and approval by Fórsa branches and the national executive committee, while the new online system is designed to ease the administrative burden on branches.

You can join Fórsa online at https://join.forsa.ie/

Fórsa is here to protect you if you have problems arising from the coronavirus or other workplace issues. The best way to contact the union at this time is HERE.

We will deal with queries as quickly as we can but, needless to say, the union will prioritise cases where members’ jobs and incomes are at immediate risk – as well as any serious health and safety issues that may arise.

Fórsa has cancelled all face-to-face meetings for the time being. The union is redeploying its staff to prioritise engagement with management on proposals arising from the Covid-19 public health crisis, and to provide rapid and efficient responses to members’ queries and concerns.

Fórsa's main phone line (01 817 1500) is now open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively members can use the Contact Us page on the Fórsa website to submit queries directly to the relevant division within Fórsa and this remains the most efficient way to access advice directly.

Wherever possible, Fórsa staff have been equipped to work remotely. Therefore, members should not attend Fórsa offices at this time. If you have a query or concern, the best way to raise it is to contact the union HERE.