Trade unions representing all levels of education staff have called for the creation of a new forum to address the crisis in the third level sector.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions Education Sector Group says emergency funding is needed for universities and other higher education institutions, where the Covid-19 crisis has led to a significant fall in funding.

The union group includes Fórsa, as well as the ASTI, TUI, IFUT, Siptu, the INTO and Unite.

It says the sector also needs a long-term plan, involving all key stakeholders, to help place it on a more sustainable footing.

It says the health emergency has exposed serious flaws in Ireland’s third level model, and said the proposal to create a dedicated Department of Higher Education could help tackle the crisis in the sector. 

The group is calling for the creation of a new third-level sector forum to look at:

• A sustainable funding model for the future and the role of private funding in universities
• The creation of greater security of employment across the sector by tackling issues around contract and precarious employment
• The cost of living issues for students, to ensure more equal access to higher education.

Fórsa’s head of education Andy Pike said the establishment this week of the Munster Technological University, and plans for future technological universities in a number of regions, created a requirement to ensure the provision of adequate funding and a long-term vision to keep in step with the ambitious agenda of the new universities.

“The current health crisis has been a major disruptor to almost every sector, with a specific impact on education. It’s essential that we prepare the ground fully to ensure the long term sustainability of higher education beyond the crisis,” he said.

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

Fórsa has welcomed the Government’s decision to grant technological university status to the consortium made up of Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology, Tralee.

The new university will be known as Munster Technological University.

Gina O’Brien, a member of Fórsa’s Education divisional executive, and a former cathaoirleach of the division who has advocated tirelessly for a technological university in the region said: “This is very welcome news and represents the culmination of a great deal of work carried out by staff in Cork and Tralee.

“The new university represents a very significant step in the development of third level education in the Munster region. It has the potential to deliver significant economic benefits and will help to increase the student population, giving more people in the region an opportunity for advanced learning.”

Gina works in the Cork Institute of Technology.

Siobhan O'Callaghan, secretary of Fórsa’s Higher Education branch, works at the Institute of Technology at Tralee. A member of its institute’s governing body, she welcomed the development for the South West region.

“Staff in both campuses have co-operated closely and worked very productively to meet the criteria and achieve technological university status. Tralee will become the first provincial town in Ireland to have a university campus, which will be key to driving progress and economic development throughout the region," she said.

Fórsa’s head of education Andy Pike said the new university marked an important development following the creation of the Technological University Dublin (TUD) last year.

“We will eventually see similar developments in the South East with Carlow and Waterford institutes of technology, also Athlone and Limerick and the possibility of a Connacht/Ulster alliance of Letterkenny, Sligo and Galway/Mayo institutes to follow.

“These will be crucial to cohesive development in these regions, both by means of job creation and longer term development of knowledge and skills capacity, with the potential for a closer level of engagement between our education system and enterprise, and significant potential in terms of research, development and innovation, to benefit the entire Irish economy.

“It also enables the sector to argue for a greater share of state funding for the higher education sector, in addition to creating very attractive options for both school leavers and those pursuing lifelong learning,” he said.

The employer’s body Ibec echoed Andy’s call for state investment: “MTU will require significant public investment if it is to reach the scale needed to attract top academic talent and compete in the challenging international research environment.

“It is therefore vital that Government maintains its commitment to the €90m TU Transformation Fund, to ensure they become embedded in the education system to support economic and social growth,” it said.

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

Fórsa has published new advice for workers who will be working remotely in the medium or long-term.

The guidance was produced as the Government’s recently-announced ‘roadmap for reopening society and business’, made it clear that many public servants and others will continue to work from home for some time.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the working circumstances of almost half of Ireland’s workers, with more than a third now working from home. This extended period of remote working is a new experience for most.

While some have now established a productive and rewarding remote working routine, it can be a struggle at times.

Working at home: Staying safe, connected, healthy and productive contains advice on health and safety, setting up a workspace, breaks, staying in touch with managers and colleagues, and balancing work with home life and childcare.

The guide also contains useful tips on data protection, cybersecurity, and safeguarding your mental health.

Róisín McKane of Fórsa’s Communications Unit drafted the guidance. “Many union members could be working remotely for longer than they ever expected. This information will help them to navigate home working for an extended period.

“You may be out of the workplace, but you can still rely on certain legal protections, and you should look to your employer for the supports you need to do your job safely and well,” she said.

Read the Fórsa guidance HERE. 

If you have questions or concerns about your own situation, you can contact Fórsa HERE. 

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

Increasing number of workers could struggle with childcare problems in the coming weeks as employees migrate back to workplaces after working remotely.

The Government’s ‘roadmap for reopening society and business,’ launched earlier this month, saw some workplaces reopening last week. And, while many workers will continue to work at home for some weeks or even months, a growing number are set to return to offices and other workplaces.

But the Government’s plan envisages crèches, childminding and pre-school facilities reopening “in a phased manner,” for essential workers from the end of June. This will gradually increase to other workers, on a phased basis, from 20th July.

Half of all workers depend on such childcare facilities, and the Government’s roadmap says they could initially open for just a day a week before “slowly increasing thereafter.” Schools and colleges won’t open to students until September at the earliest.

Meanwhile, a new report from the union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) says women are set to be disproportionately affected by this “misalignment” of the return to workplaces and reopening of childcare facilities.

It says access to childcare will be a significant issue for many people returning to work as around 40% of workers have dependent children.

Although the official focus on childcare is on the reopening of schools and crèches, NERI says many people rely more on family members and friends. Its senior economist Lisa Wilsons said that accounts for half of workers in the Republic of Ireland.

“This dominant reliance on family is particularly important in the context of current public health restrictions as wider family circles are currently unable to physically interact with each other,” she said.

Given the poor policy intervention to address this issue, there is a serious risk that lack of access to childcare will affect families’ ability to leave the home and participate in the labour market.

Ms Wilson said the coronavirus had intensified gender inequality in the home as women assume the bulk of caring responsibilities.

“Research has highlighted that without access to childcare, gendered patterns of care are being replicated during lockdown and in many cases magnified.

“It is a well-known fact that women’s disproportionate responsibility for childcare within the home affects their ability to enter and progress equally in the labour market. This inequality is now being exacerbated by the lack of access to childcare owing to the Covid-19 crisis,” she said.

Get more information HERE. 

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

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan has welcomed a proposed European Commission post-Covid recovery plan, worth €750 billion, which would bring the total EU budget to €1.85 trillion over the next seven years.

In an opinion piece for the Irish Examiner he said the move suggested that the EU was moving away from the austerity of previous years, and towards the ‘social democratic’ policies favoured by trade unions.

And he called on the incoming Irish Government to follow suit and “avoid poor choices that hurt ordinary workers and their families and put the concerns of citizens down the agenda.”

The Commission’s proposed ‘next generation’ budget envisages the EU deploying a blend of spending, grants and borrowing. Support would be available to all EU member states, with most going to those worst affected by the pandemic.

This would include a new ‘recovery and resilience facility,’ worth €560 billion in financial supports for climate action, ‘digital transition,’ and other projects. It also includes almost €10 billion to strengthen health security and prepare for future health crises.

Launching the plan in Brussels on Wednesday (27th May), European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyden said her proposal would allow Europe to deal with the present crisis and prepare for the future.

But she warned that it required unanimous backing from EU member states. There is resistance from the so-called ‘frugal four’: Austria, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

In his Examiner article, which first appeared as a Fórsa blog earlier this week, Kevin Callinan identified a “sharp switch in EU political direction,” notwithstanding the reservations of those four countries.

“Unlike the conditions that prevailed a decade ago, Europe appears to be moving in what might be characterised as a social democratic direction,” he wrote. Kevin said the Commission’s emphasis on health services was also significant.

“The pandemic has produced a tremendous national effort, led by the health service and our heroic frontline staff, and supported by the wider public service. But this can’t conceal the fact that our infection rates, notably among healthcare workers, are poor compared with countries with better health systems.

“The historical underfunding of our public system, coupled with a convoluted model of private provision in acute hospitals and residential and homecare settings, has impaired our ability to maximise a fully coherent and integrated response,” he wrote.

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

Fórsa has updated its advice on coronavirus-related work issues for civil servants and staff in the wider public service. The advice covers attendance at work (including for pregnant workers and those with health vulnerabilities), salary protections for those self-isolating, temporary staff transfers, childcare and more. Read it HERE.

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

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has called for a massive fiscal stimulus, with public investment across a range of public service and infrastructure projects, as part of a plan for Ireland’s recovery from the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘No going back: a new deal towards a safe and secure future for all’ also calls for universal free public health care, a massive programme of public house building, a cap on the price of childcare, increased investment in education, and the scrapping of plans to increase the State pension qualification age to 67.

The paper outlines proposals for a ‘green new deal’ to tackle climate change, and includes environmental taxes among measures to fund its ambitious programme. It also calls for higher taxes on wealth – including inheritance and gifts – as well as higher “social contributions” from employers.

It says that Ireland’s tax take per person lags behind the EU average, along with its spending on public services.

‘No going back’ also sets out demands for stronger social dialogue and collective bargaining rights.

Launching the programme, ICTU general secretary Patricia King warned against a sudden removal of income supports for workers laid off as a result of the pandemic.

“The response to this crisis has to be different this time. Austerity is neither socially acceptable nor economically necessary. We believe that the length and depth of the recession will be determined, at least in part, by the policies we choose and values that guide us,” she said.

She said that, like all other states, Ireland would need to borrow, taking advantage of low interest rates to create jobs and re-establish economic activity.

“We need to couple this with reform. Our paper clearly shows that employers pay considerably less than their European peers when it comes to employers’ PRSI. The State, as the backer of last resort, needs to be adequately financed and all sectors have to pay their fair share,” she said.

Read the report HERE.

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

Workplace bullying is more prevalent in the public service than in the private sector, but is more likely to damage productivity by causing absences in the latter.

That’s according to a new study from NUI Galway, which estimates that bullying-related absences account for 1.7 million lost working days a year, and a total annual cost to the economy of almost €240 million.

The study builds on previous research from the university, which showed the relationship between bullying and work-related stress. The new study looks at the economic costs.

John Cullinan, who led the research team, said increased incidents of remote working on foot of the Covid-19 crisis was unlikely to eliminate bullying-related costs.

His colleague Margaret Hodgins added that the significant economic cost of bullying, as well as the damaging personal impact, warranted a more proactive policy approach to the issue.

Read the report HERE.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – 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.