Fórsa was continuing focussed discussions aimed at achieving the earliest possible safe resumption of school-based services to students with additional needs as this bulletin went to press.

Paid-up Fórsa members working in the civil and public service, and in non-commercial State agencies, have now received an email with a ‘unique voter code,’ which enables them to cast their vote in the ballot on a proposed new public service agreement.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin this week confirmed that the high number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations means that schools will not be able to open fully before Saint Patrick’s Day.

If accepted, the proposed new public service agreement, Building Momentum, would run from January 2021 to December 2022. It allows for two pay increases, each worth 1% of annual salary or €500 a year, whichever is the greater.

A worrying 47% of Irish workplaces were found to be in breach of Covid-19 guidelines following Health and Safety Authority (HSA) safety inspections since last May.

Fórsa has called for engagement with unions on an official target that 20% of public service operations should be done remotely. 

The HSE has agreed to recruit a significant number of administrative staff to assist in the roll-out of vaccinations to the public. The move came after Fórsa proposed setting aside normal recruitment procedures to ensure that enough staff are in place to quickly address the challenge of mass vaccination.

The education department is to launch a ‘digital wellbeing series’ for schools staff, along with a ‘digital gym’ for the school community.