The union has had several wins recently for members in a number of cases that relate to misuse of 72-hours, inappropriate duties, or non-adherence to circulars.

Fórsa was asked to intervene on behalf of members in recent weeks on these issues. In all cases the members had flagged potential issues with their employer, advising them respectfully that they did not believe what the employer was seeking was appropriate.

However, when the employers refused to alter their position, the members then sought Fórsa’s intervention on their behalf.

In each case the union intervened and highlighted clarifications received from the Department in May of this year. This resulted in the employers altering their position to ensure they are complying with agreed circulars and clarifications.

Win on 72-hours

In one case regarding the issue of use of the 72-hours the employer was seeking to compel SNAs to extend their working day and undertake extra-curricular activities as part of the hours, and they also issued a policy in this regard without consultation or agreement.

Fórsa industrial relations officer Gary Honer intervened with the school, informing them that due to the lack of consultation and engagement, as well as the policy being contrary to the circular and recent commitments, it had no standing and should be withdrawn on that basis. He also referred the matter to the conciliation services of the Workplace Relations Commission.

A conciliation hearing took place, and the school was advised that they should seek clarification of their view from the Department, given the union’s position was that the Department had confirmed what was being sought was not appropriate. The Department responded in recent days corroborating the union’s position and confirming that SNAs cannot be compelled to undertake extra-curricular activities under the auspices of the 72-hours, it can only happen on a voluntary basis, if the SNA agrees.

Win on Assault Leave

Separately, another significant win was an appeal to a decision not to grant assault leave. A member had suffered an injury at school when a student collided with them accidentally.

The member made an application for assault leave on the basis that the circular defines assault as follows: “Assault – means physical contact from a third party causing physical injury to a special needs assistant in the course of the special needs assistant’s duties and during approved school activities.”

The application was refused by the Department stating that the incident did not meet the criteria of the circular. Fórsa industrial relations officer Dave Sexton intervened and made representations to both the school and the Department, and as a result the decision was overturned.

Win on June working

In another case, Fórsa secured a guarantee that SNA-appropriate work would be identified for June working next year.

The issue arose this year when members in a school were informed that they were compelled, by way of directive from their regional Education and Training Board, to attend for fixed hours (9am to 4pm) during the month of June. This was challenged by the union in May and management refused to engage.

Members completed the work which was allocated and continued to attend for their paid roles as readers/scribes and did not attend for the other 'enforced' hours, as there was no work remaining. Management refrained from attempting to discipline members, knowing they had union backing.

Fórsa organiser Dylan Archbold met with management in the school and requested the presence of the ETB. The case was made that June working is task driven and not time driven.

The union secured a win by way of an agreement that SNA-appropriate work would be identified in the first week of May next year, and that going forward members will not be obliged to attend further after this work is complete, overturning management’s position that they must attend regardless of work available.

We urge members that where they feel an issue exists, raise it locally in the first instance and if it does not get resolved then you should seek the assistance of the union.

As these recent cases demonstrate, we can and do win.

Nearly 3,000 School Secretaries who opted to accept the new Fórsa Pay Agreement will receive outstanding backpay next week, on 23rd November.

Outstanding arrears of salary will be paid to members through the Department of Education payroll system. The backpay arises as a direct consequence of the backdating of the Pay Agreement to September 2021. Secretaries will be paid for the increases in public sector pay rates since that date and will also receive arrears due for incremental progression.

This will complete a complex assimilation process involving thousands of individual salary calculations required to implement this ground-breaking Pay Agreement. The benefits provided to members range between 17% and 31% depending on years of service, with the biggest pay increases benefitting the lower paid Secretaries previously in receipt of the minimum rate of €13 per hour.

Fórsa Head of Education Andy Pike said “We are very pleased to have secured payment of the backpay for our members who have waited a long time to receive the full benefits of the Agreement. This brings to an end the implementation phase as members are now paid on the correct public service scale by the Department of Education.”

“The move to central payroll provides greater protection and security for School Secretaries and minimises risks to working hours and salary deductions by Boards of Management. As we approach the holiday period, we should also note that no School Secretary will be forced to sign-on over the Christmas holidays as a consequence of the gains made under the new Agreement, which ensures Secretaries can be paid for 52 weeks of the year.”

Fórsa will be in contact with members in the New Year to discuss the next steps in the campaign for full public service status.

The Fórsa Skills Academy hosts two seminars each year to provide support and guidance to Branch Training Officers as they seek to build capacity at branch level and support workplace representatives.

The next session will take place on Thursday 7th December in the James Joyce Centre in Dublin 1 from 11am – 3.30pm, with festive refreshments to sustain you throughout. We have a packed programme of information and guest talks on a wide range of topics, including:

• handling data accurately in your training officer role
• guiding members and representatives through the application process
• presentation from the project manager of an award-winning mentoring programme
• learning about the importance of neurodiverse training as workers and providers of public services
• discussion of how best we can support you in your role locally
• publishing the results of the recent training survey.

Paid release can be secured for participants so the earlier you register the better. 

Come along and join us for an informative and enjoyable event, and you never know there could be some festive surprises in store! 

To apply just click through the link and enter your details.

Members are encouraged to save the date for the Fórsa Global Solidarity Spring School, which will take place on the 1st and 2nd of March 2024, in Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

The school will provide a unique opportunity for interested members to discuss a range of international, trade union and human rights issues. We will hear about projects that the Fórsa actively fund across the world, and it will also be an opportunity to hear about Forsa’s global solidarity work.

The two-day event will kick off on the Friday afternoon and will feature panel discussions and guest speakers on topics including the war on Palestine and the rise of the far right, amongst others.

Further information, and a link to register will circulate to members early in the new year. In the meantime, if you have any queries, you can email them to internationalsolidarity@forsa.ie.

We look forward to welcoming you to the next Global Solidarity Spring School.

On Thursday 9th November Fórsa hosted the Irish book launch of Dr Jane McAlevey's acclaimed masterclass on participatory social change Rules to Win By.

Published in March 2023, Rules to Win By: Power and Participation in Union Negotiations, co-authored with Abby Lawlor, was described in the New Yorker magazine as "part theory and part nuts and bolts; its focus is McAlevey’s strategy of using big, open bargaining sessions to secure winning contracts."

Described as a book "for workers, trade unionists, racial justice and climate campaigners, academics, policymakers and everyone who wants a more fair and democratic society," Rules to Win By is McAlevey's fourth book, crafted for those striving for social, economic and political change in an era of polarisation and the proliferation of big lies, and drawing upon skills and lessons honed in pitched battles against experienced and ruthless union busters.”

McAlevey's life and work as a union organiser, author and academic was the focus of a feature in The New Yorker last month: How Jane McAlevey Transformed the Labor Movement.

Fórsa’s Head of Strategic Change Ryan McKinney said: “Jane McAlevey’s work has had a transformative impact on the trade union movement. Fórsa are privileged to work with Jane as we continue our work to build a strong, relevant union that wins for its members.”

The 19 public sector unions, affiliated to the ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC), will meet this morning (Friday) to consider the invitation to public service pay talks. The invitation, to enter negotiations on a new pay agreement, was issued by the Minister for Public Expenditure this week. This morning’s meeting of affiliates will review recent developments and determine the criteria to establish if there’s a basis for a new public service pay agreement with the Government. 

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, who chairs the PSC, said he noted the comments, made by the Minister for Public Expenditure in his invitation, that an agreement has the potential to provide certainty and stability in a ‘normalised industrial relations environment.’

Kevin commented: “We’ve identified the normalisation of 'post-crisis' public service industrial relations as a necessary step to the successful negotiation of another public service agreement. That means removing the stranglehold of the Department of Public Expenditure, which is currently preventing the normal operation of the voluntarist system of industrial relations.

“Our priority objective is to secure appropriate pay measures in response to continuing cost-of-living pressures on working families. But the type of agreement favoured by the minister, as he described in media interviews this week, is really only achievable if we establish normalised industrial relations,” he said.

Kevin said the affiliate unions want a focus on the stabilisation of any future agreement, through mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues affecting public service grades, groups and categories: “Multi-annual deals provide a high degree of cost certainty, and stability, for the government. While we’re willing to consider such a deal, we made it clear months ago that any deal would need to contain sufficient flexibility to address issues affecting specific groups of workers,” he said.

The current public service pay agreement, Building Momentum, expires in just over six weeks (31st December). Unions have continued to emphasise the need for a successor agreement to be negotiated and ratified before the current deal expires.

Tomorrow at 1pm a National Demonstration for Palestine will take place, meeting at the Garden of Remembrance before proceeding to the back of Leinster House on Merrion Square.

Led by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Trade Union Friends of Palestine are among the organisers of this demonstration, which aims to be the biggest Palestine solidarity demonstration in Irish history.

As the situation in Gaza deteriorates daily Fórsa stands with all those calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Members can collect Fórsa flags and banners on Saturday at 12.30pm from the Fórsa offices at Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

Contact Kevin Donoghue, Fórsa's Director of Campaigns for more information.

Fórsa Youth are holding their annual charity table quiz next Thursday, 23rd November, in Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

The cost for a table of four is €100. A pop-up bar will be available, finger food and refreshments will be provided. A raffle with some great prizes will also be held on the night. Registration opens from 6pm, with the quiz starting at 7pm. You can book a table here.

This year’s quiz is in aid of Trucks for Peace, a global fundraising initiative that aims to help build a stable and lasting peace in Colombia. Fórsa is affiliated with Justice for Colombia, an organisation set up in response to the high levels of violence against trade unionists, human rights defenders and community activists in Colombia. The project faces huge challenges in remote areas of Colombia where inequality is an extremely serious and complex problem.

After the 2016 peace agreement in Columbia former FARC guerrillas established co-operatives as part of the transition. The co-ops produce a range of products, including clothing, coffee and beer. However, in remote parts of Columbia they face major challenges getting their products to markets.

Infrastructure is poor and transport is essential. This fundraiser aims to enable local worker cooperative 'De Mano en Mano' to commercialise and sell their products through access to decent transport in the form of a truck.

Funds raised by the table quiz will be used to support Trucks for Peace in their mission to provide long-term sustainable livelihoods for those involved in the peace process in Columbia.

All are welcome to join the quiz and if your branch is not able to make it, donations are also encouraged.

Contact forsayncsecretary@forsa-rep.ie for more information or to make a donation.

Did you know that you can avail of cheaper home and car insurance, along with retail discounts as part of your Fórsa membership?

At this seasonally expensive time access to reduced insurance offers and discount schemes is on everyone’s wish list! This November’s Lunch and Learn will provide you with all the details on Fórsa membership benefits directly from our providers Cornmarket and the WRKIT Group Discount Scheme.

These schemes allow members to avail of significantly better protections, along with great savings on insurance and other discounts.

Taking place on Friday 24th of November, this Lunch & Learn is open to all our members, so please spread the word of this event far and wide.

To register for November’s live Lunch and Learn – please click on the link here.

The Annual General Meeting of the Fórsa Retired Members Group will take place on Wednesday, November 22nd at 10:45 a.m. in, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.

All retired members are welcome to attend.

Motions for discussion and nominations for the positions of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer are invited, via email to: retiredmembersbranchsec@forsa-rep.ie to arrive no later than Thursday, November 16th at 5:00.

Agenda, notice of motions and nominations will issue and will then be available via the Retired Members page on the Forsa website. A limited number of paper copies will be available on the day.

Travel Insurance for Fórsa Members

Did you know KennCo Insurance offer Fórsa members a special discount on travel insurance? As a Fórsa member you can protect your holidays with annual multi-trip cover for just €64.90, which includes cover for you, your spouse/partner and dependent children.*

Main Features

• Annual Multi-trip cover

• Worldwide

• 365-day, 24 hour emergency medical assistance service during your insured trip

• Cancellation & Curtailment – up to €6,000

• Lost Baggage – up to €3,000

• Medical & Emergency Expenses – up to €10,000,000

• Personal Accident – up €30,000

• Travel Delay and Disruption – up to €6,000

• Public Liability – up to €2,500,0000

• Winter Sports & Scuba Diving Included

• Cruise cover up to €300

Terms, conditions and excesses will apply.

*Dependent children up to and including 17 years old only or if still in full time education up to and including 22 years old. Applies to individuals 70 years and under only. You must be living with your partner for at least 6 months. Terms and conditions will apply.

Get more information and a secure quote HERE. 

KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.