Although Fórsa members are not a rare sight at Pride, Saturday 29th June 2024 marked the first time we marched together under the union's banner.

A festive atmosphere reigned when members assembled on O’Connell Street, in defiance of the torrential rain, with rainbow colours only slightly muted by the clear plastic of ponchos. The union group was joined by Fórsa president Martin Walsh, and general secretary Kevin Callinan. 

Also marching with Fórsa was Kieran Rose, lifelong union member and LGBTQIA+ activist. 

Putting the day into historical perspective, he said “The trade union movement was hugely important in progress for LGBT people in Ireland from the early 1980s when we had few supporters but many powerful enemies.”

Kieran recently produced a new publication on the trade union movement’s important role in the struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights in Ireland. A struggle that has its beginning with a motion put forward by Kieran, when he was in the Cork Branch of the LGPSU, one of the predecessor unions to Fórsa, calling for lesbians and gay men to be protected by the unfair dismissals act. 

The most popular part of the Fórsa contingent on the day was the Queer Library Alliance, their banner receiving raucous cheers and applause from fellow marchers and those gathered along the parade route.

The Queer Library Alliance are a group set up last year by LGBTQIA+ library staff and allies in reaction to increasing incidents involving the far-right in libraries across the country. They campaign against the intimidation and censorship of queer staff, patrons and literature.

In a statement released on Monday, the Queer Library Alliance said “We were proud to march with Fórsa at Dublin Pride in solidarity with all library workers affected by far-right and anti-LGBTQIA+ aggression and library censorship.”

Fórsa national secretary and equality officer Ashley Connolly said: “Unions played an important role in the furthering of LGBTQIA+ rights. Now as the far-right threaten those rights, it’s important we show solidarity not only with our LGBTQIA+ friends and family, but with our librarian colleagues who have found themselves on the front lines of a culture war no one asked for.”

Rob Partridge, of the Galway Health and Welfare Branch, made his way to Dublin for the day. Some may recognise Rob from national conference where he received a standing ovation for his presentation of a motion to establish a Fórsa LGBTQIA+ Network.

Arm-in-arm with his husband, soaked and beaming joy, Rob spoke of why marching with fellow members was important to him.

Rob said “Every year, for as long as I can remember, there has been someone from this union attending the Pride march in Galway. They haven’t gone to say, ‘Look, here we are, we’re going out again.’ They’ve come to say, ‘We’re supporting the community’.”

Having proven a success this year, the Fórsa block at Dublin Pride has undoubtedly laid the foundations of a yearly tradition.  

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

As summer holidays begin in earnest the Skills Academy still has plenty on offer for members.

July's Lunch and Learn session takes place on Friday 26th July on the topic of LGBTQIA+ activism in the union. This talk will primarily focus on how branches can be supported to establish the role of LGBTQIA+ officer and what other supports might be required to build capacity in this area.

Our union induction course for new members, Fórsa 101, runs right through summer. Applications for the August sessions on Wednesday 14th will open in the coming weeks, new members will be notified by email. When it opens the application form will be accessible here . 

Don’t miss registration deadlines for September trainings

In September, we will have level 1 and 2 workplace rep training on offer and a new communications and digital skills course for members. Details on course content for all of these can be found on our website hub .  

All our courses open for applications 10 weeks before scheduled for delivery to facilitate workplace releases so planning ahead is essential.

Finally, we are still accepting applications to our mentoring programme until August 6th.  Contact your branch or send an email to skillsacademy@forsa.ie  for the link to apply.  

Further details of all Skills Academy programmes are available on our training hub on the Fórsa website check it out here.

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The European Public Services Union (EPSU) held its 11th Congress at the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, gathering 500 trade unionists from 45 countries from 18th - 20th June. The event marked 45 years of the organisation’s existence and saw huge enthusiasm around the continuation of its mission to champion public services and the rights of public service workers across Europe.

The European Federation of Public Service Unions, established in 1978, represents eight million public service workers across 260+ trade union organisations. It is affiliated with the European Trade Union Confederation and recognized as the regional body of Public Services International.

Fórsa was entitled to two delegates: Richy Carrothers, representing Local and Regional Government, and Linda Kelly, representing Health and Social Services. Additionally, Michael Kerrigan attended as a member of the EPSU Youth Committee, and Eoin Ronayne participated in his capacity as a member of the outgoing EPSU Executive.

Among the notable actions taken at the Congress, Eoin Ronayne moved a successful resolution on solidarity with Palestine. Richy Carrothers presented an emergency motion on the rise of the far-right following the European elections, which was also adopted.

Francoise Geng, representing the French union CGT’s Health and Social Action Federation, emerged as the new President of EPSU. Meanwhile, Jan Willem Goudriaan secured his third consecutive term as EPSU's General Secretary, a position he has held since 2014. Additionally, Richy Carrothers was elected to represent Ireland on the EPSU Executive Committee for the 2024-2029 term, marking a pivotal moment in the organization's leadership landscape.

Fórsa, alongside the Dutch union FNV and the French union CFDT, hosted a fringe meeting on remunicipalisation. This event featured Professor Andrew Cumbers from the University of Glasgow/University of Bonn as the keynote speaker and focused on launching the EPSU PSI toolkit for campaigning for re-municipalisation. 

Re-municipalisation is the process of bringing privatised services back into public control.  Fórsa national secretary, Richy Carrothers was a member of the Steering Committee that developed the toolkit. 

Richy said: “This movement toward reclaiming public services—water, health, education, and more—from profit-driven models underscores a broader societal shift. Fuelled by crises like Covid-19 and climate change, it champions democratic, inclusive definitions of 'public,' promoting socially just and sustainable solutions.”

“We’ve been walled in by the dictates of neo-liberalism, it has not worked - so this is about forging a new common sense and prioritising community involvement over market interests.”

The conference also discussed themes such as securing peace, democracy, equality, rights, and freedoms, alongside reclaiming, and strengthening public services, and advocating for a green, digital, and socially just transition. Delegates consistently pushed the importance of quality jobs in delivering high-quality services and focused on strengthening public service trade unions.

Linda Kelly, national secretary and Fórsa delegate at the Congress said it was a pivotal event, reinforcing the union's commitment to public services and the rights of workers across Europe.

“The trade union movement has always been internationalist and Fórsa’s participation in the EPSU Congress is an expression of that. There is so much we can learn from our colleagues in unions across Europe. I would like to pay tribute to Eoin Ronayne’s long service on the EPSU Executive Committee, a role to which he dedicated his time and energy, and which has ensured the interest of Irish public sector workers are supported by our European colleagues.” 

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The Dáil passed the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill on Wednesday 3rd July. The legislation had previously been passed by the Seanad and will now go to the President to be considered and signed into law.

This comes after a lengthy campaign and legislative process. 

Welcoming this landmark social policy Irish Congress of Trade Union general secretary Owen Reidy said:

“This is a defining moment in bringing an end to our failed voluntary approach to pensions saving. Future generations of workers can now be spared from seeing their income and living standards plummet in retirement.

“After decades of delay, it is vital to maintain momentum. The Minister must name the date for the first auto-enrolment pension contributions. This legislation cannot be left to sit on a shelf gathering dust” he said.

“Congress and affiliated unions accept the intention is for auto-enrolment to do no harm to existing good occupational pensions. We will nonetheless be vigilant for displacement or dilution and won’t hesitate in taking action should employers respond to the cheaper pension auto-enrolment option by closing their workplace pension to new hires or levelling down their pension contributions to the AE rate.”

Mr Reidy added: “I want to acknowledge the work and collaborative approach of the Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys and her officials in delivering what I believe will be the most significant social intervention to protect older people’s living standards since the Old Age Pensions Act of 1908 introduced the state pension.”

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A recently released report from the University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School explores the current and possible future impacts of several key developments affecting the Irish labour market. The research, carried out on behalf of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), looks at the effects of inflation, recruitment and retention challenges, technology, and climate change on work in Ireland in the coming years.

The research consisted of two parts. The first was academic research drawing upon a wide variety of international sources from across a number of disciplines, and the second part consisted of interviews with representatives of organisations and state bodies, ranging from the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, to the National Women’s Council and Fórsa. The responses from interviewees paint a clear picture of workers’ concerns.

Inflation

Of the four key factors, inflation was seen as having the greatest priority for employers and workers. This was in part due to “its immediate impacts on business costs, incomes, and related wage negotiations.”

Inflation was found to be “inextricably linked” to recruitment and retention challenges. There was little hope of a quick resolution to the problems this presents, with interviewees expecting inflation to be an ongoing issue for the medium term. 

Currently the labour market, while strong, is tight, that is expected to continue and will contribute to wage growth. This is expected to be nominal with “growth of 5.0 per cent in 2023 and 5.5 per cent in 2024.”

Although to date there has been little evidence of inflation causing significant workplace conflict, it is leading to tensions. If inflation continues workplace conflict will become a more real possibility as workers’ wage demands increase to meet continued rising cost-of-living.

Recruitment and retention

The effects of a tight labour market are not being felt evenly across all sectors. The vacancy rate in the Information and Communication sector has halved since 2016, while the rate in Public Administration and Defence has doubled in the same period.

There is evidence of skills gaps across all sectors. This issue is exacerbated by difficulties in recruiting and retaining workers from other parts of the country and abroad.

The cost-of-living crisis is an ever-present deterrent to attracting new workers. The availability and costs of housing and childcare likewise make moving for work an unattractive prospect.

As employers compete against each other over a smaller pool of potential workers, there is a worry that this may cause friction as new hires get offered better pay and conditions than pre-existing staff.

Interviewees were in agreement that greater social dialogue is needed to properly address the issues facing recruitment and employment.

Technology

Digitalisation and automation were seen as both a threat and a possible benefit for workers. There is a clear potential for technology and automation to make workers’ lives easier, make workplaces safer, and allow workers more leisure time.

Upskilling/reskilling was cited as one way to offset the potential threat to jobs. This comes with the danger of ‘skills churn’ increasing in pace. Skills churn is “the necessity for workers to constantly update skills to maintain employability.” This puts pressure on workers over who funds their learning, and whether they are expected to undertake upskilling in their own time.

AI was frequently cited as likely having the greatest consequences for work. Of particular concern was AI being used in managerial or HR contexts which are “high-risk in these contexts because they can potentially lead to discriminatory outcomes impacting workers’ careers, livelihoods, and rights.”

Climate change

Interviewees thought that with proper planning mitigation and adaptation, measures could be introduced without creating significant conflict.

There was an impression that implications of climate change for workplace relations “had not been given significant attention by actors with limited national level dialogue.” Interviewees saw the immediate ‘here and now’ issues such as inflation being prioritised over long-term planning.

Lack of proper planning was expected to be exacerbated by the wider impacts of climate change which have yet to emerge and won’t be seen for 10-20 years. There were worries that an insufficient amount of strategic planning and action had taken place, despite the size of the crisis and its potential to impact the labour market.

Overall, the report provides fascinating insights into the concerns workers in Ireland have, and the solutions they believe could address workplace relations challenges.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

On Tuesday 2nd July the Health Service Executive (HSE) published Circular 016 2024 which finalises further key elements of the long fought for Hospital Pharmacy Agreement. You can read the Circular here.

This will:

•    Create Deputy Pharmacist Executive Manager posts in several hospitals and Advanced Specialist Pharmacist (ASP) posts within the career structure for Hospital Pharmacists

•    Establish an immediate validation exercise for current staff who wish to apply for ASP roles. 

Procedural documents outlining process flows, application forms, and FAQs for the validation process of Advanced Specialist Pharmacists are now available. Members should have received these documents already by email. They can also contact their local Branch Executive to receive a copy of the documents. 

Fórsa National Secretary Linda Kelly said: “This is the culmination of a long campaign and lots of hard work by members. 13 years on from the beginning of this process in 2011 we can finally say that a new career structure is in place for hospital Pharmacists. Thank you for sticking with this process over such a long period.”

She continued: “In the months ahead we will focus on supporting members eligible to apply for the validation process. We will also re-engage with the HSE on the role of Pharmacy Managers and on progressing discussions on a Pharmacy Regional Lead within the Health Region Structure.”

In 2011 the Review of Hospital Pharmacy (McLoughlin Report) recognised the need for a revised structure for hospital pharmacy. It was the first review undertaken since 1978, which was when the current grading structure was agreed. Since the publication of the McLoughlin report, Hospital Pharmacists have been engaged in substantial and lengthy campaign to see the outcome of that review implemented.

Thanking members Richard Sykes, President of the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Ireland (HPAI) said: “Hospital pharmacists are integral to delivering patient care. By working together, we have achieved a new career structure that recognises our skills, qualifications, and role. Your commitment and dedication has transformed our profession for the future”

Two online information sessions for members will take place next week. The details and links to attend are below:

Thursday 11th July 1pm to 2pm - Join the meeting now
Friday 12th July 1pm to 2pm - Join the meeting now  

For further information please contact your local branch representative or official.  

Unions welcomed the 12-month extension for those on the Long Covid Scheme, but many frontline and essential workers will still be arbitrarily excluded leaving them facing significant financial difficulties. 

Long Covid is defined as the continuation or development of new symptoms after a Covid infection. On June 25th 2024, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) reconvened a conciliation conference to address ongoing problems brought by the staff panel representing CONNECT, Fórsa, IMO, INMO, MLSA, SIPTU, and UNITE. This meeting marked a crucial step in a prolonged effort to secure proper support for healthcare workers affected by long covid. 

The group of unions is seeking a scheme analogous to others that exist in the health service.   

Fórsa national secretary Ashley Connolly said: “The Department of Health told us that they were only prepared to offer an extension of the Special Leave with Pay Scheme for those currently on the scheme and were not in a position to extend these arrangements”. 

Ashley welcomed the extension saying that it would provide much-needed stability and peace of mind for affected workers.  

She said: “This is far better than the constant rigmarole of three-month extensions we were dealing with and means people won’t be left facing an immediate financial cliff edge. Our members have already endured significant uncertainty, and many have debilitating health conditions due to their sacrifices on the front lines during the height of the pandemic. We all remember the rhetoric of the “essential” workers, well it’s now essential that they are looked after with dignity and respect.” 

Long Covid was ruled out by the Department of Social Protection as an illness eligible for occupational injury benefit in a report published by the department in November, 2023. Despite a recommendation from the European Commission, Ireland and Greece remain the only two EU member states that have not recognized Covid-19 as an occupational disease in sectors where the risk of infection has been proven. 

“We all want to leave pandemic is in the rear-view window but the reality for many of our members is that it continues, with Long Covid remaining an unresolved crisis that the country has yet to address. We’re an outlier in Europe on the crisis. Affected workers have been left in uncertainty. It's crucial to recognize that the standard sick leave scheme inadequately supports these workers, with their pay reduced to 50% after three months and potentially facing further challenges thereafter.” 

"There is still no resolution for healthcare workers currently excluded from the scheme due to arbitrary cut off dates. The Department of Health cannot let this issue drag on and they must engage with the trade unions to establish a scheme for Long Covid for these workers." Ashley concluded.

On Tuesday 25th June unions representing workers in the community and voluntary sector met with Government Departments responsible for funding Section 10, 39, 40 and 56 organisations at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) for the latest in an ongoing round of negotiations.

The group of unions were seeking pay increases for workers that would restore the pay relationships that existed prior to pay cuts in 2008. During the meeting an offer to increase pay by 6.5% was made. As this would not restore workers’ pay, the offer was rejected.

Fórsa national secretary Ashley Connolly said the offer made falls short of what unions are fighting for. She said: "Workers in the community and voluntary sector play a vital role providing services our country relies on. They deserve to be paid fairly. That’s why we rejected the offer made at the WRC.”

“Workers in the community and voluntary sector work in health and disability services, services to children, and homeless services. They often earn less than their colleagues working in the same roles but employed by the HSE, rather than by voluntary organisations funded by the state. As a result workers are leaving the sector at any chance they get, which just isn’t sustainable” continued Ashley.

These negotiations are taking place following the interim agreement secured in October 2023, which brought about pay increases for workers in the community and voluntary sector. It also provided for further negotiations to take place regarding the terms of any successor public sector agreement to Building Momentum.  The negotiations currently underway are the result of that provision, as the new public service pay deal was ratified in March. 

Ashley concluded: “We are continuing to engage with the WRC to establish if there is a basis for further engagement. We will update members further as developments arise.” 

The local bargaining provisions of the PSA allows trade unions to negotiate up to an additional 3% of pay costs, inclusive of allowances, for particular grades, groups or categories of employee. 

In a letter to branches on Tuesday (2nd July), Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan outlined the union’s progress in identifying the bargaining units - ahead of the 30th June deadline - under the terms of the current deal.

Kevin explained that the position paper is not a final, definitive document: “It was prepared so that Fórsa was able to meet the deadline of 30th June for finalising the bargaining units set out in the agreement. 

“Fórsa is the only union - so far - to have outlined a detailed approach to the operation of local bargaining for grades, groups and categories,” he said.
Under the terms of the deal local negotiations are to take place between July 2024 and June 2025, while agreements on local bargaining measures are to be secured, to the greatest extent possible, through direct negotiations. While termed ‘local’ bargaining these claims and negotiations will be addressed on a national basis.

Fórsa shared the document last week (25th June) at a meeting between officials from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR) and the officers of the ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC), which is chaired by Kevin.

A further meeting, to review progress, will take place on 25th July. Kevin said the management side believes if comprehensive lists of bargaining units can be finalised by September, there will be sufficient time to process claims during the nine months from October 2024 to June 2025.

He added: “This is the timeline in the PSA to allow partial implementation of outcomes, equivalent to 1% of the cost involved, on the agreed date of 1st September 2025.” 

The balance of 2% of the cost will fall to be negotiated in the context of talks on a future public service pay deal.

Kevin described this timeline - for negotiation and implementation - as ‘ambitious’, particularly if there is disagreement within the process: “It is also ambitious because the identification of bargaining units, although complex for a union like Fórsa with such an array of grades, is relatively simple compared to the formulation of claims. 

“It will require a big effort on the part of branches, national professional or vocational groups and union staff over the coming weeks to ensure that we can fully maximise this bargaining opportunity,” he said.

You can read the Fórsa position paper here.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

The Labour Court is expected to issue a recommendation following this week’s special hearing on the pay dispute between the pilot body IALPA, a branch of Fórsa, and Aer Lingus.

Work-to-rule action by IALPA members at Aer Lingus continues, while 500 pilots took part in the rally and picket at Dublin Airport last Saturday (29th June) during an eight-hour work stoppage by pilots.

Both parties attended lengthy talks on Monday (1st July), following which the Court said it would exercise its power under section 26(5) of the 1990 Industrial Relations Act to formally intervene in the dispute. That hearing took place on Wednesday (3rd July).

The airline has cancelled approximately 400 flights since work-to-rule action commenced on 26th June. 

IALPA has highlighted the generous bonus terms recently awarded to Aer Lingus senior management, including almost €300k in shares to its CEO Lynne Embleton, and has criticised what it describes as “corporate greed” at the airline.

Pilots are pursuing a pay claim based on the cumulative effect of inflation since 2019, since when there has been no increase in pilot pay terms. Pilots and other airline employees also endured hefty reductions in pay during the period affected by Covid-related travel restrictions.

IALPA will ballot its members on the terms of the anticipated Labour Court recommendation, which is expected in the coming days.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

Fórsa continues to work towards ensuring better support for those experiencing domestic violence and has called on the government to increase paid domestic violence leave to 10 days.

A key issue for the union, Fórsa has long-fought for protections for workers experiencing domestic abuse. Following a lengthy campaign during which the union tirelessly lobbied for statutory paid leave for those experiencing abuse, and fought to secure domestic violence policies in workplaces across all of the union’s divisions, five days statutory paid domestic violence leave per year came into effect last November under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. 

While broadly welcomed as a milestone in this hard-fought campaign, Fórsa had expressed disappointment at the five-day limit and committed to continue to collectively bargain for increased supports. Delegates at Fórsa’s national conference in May voted overwhelmingly in support of a motion mandating the union to further engage with Government to increase domestic violence leave and bring it in line with recommendations from Women’s Aid and advisory working groups.

“No one experiencing domestic violence should have to risk poverty or unemployment to seek support. Financial independence from abusers is the key to escaping and building a better life. This leave helps workers find a pathway out of violence - it’s disappointing that the leave is for only five days, but we continue to work to collectively bargain to provide for ten days paid leave,” said Fórsa National Secretary and Equality Officer Ashley Connolly.

Last month, Women's Aid launched its annual impact report which recorded its highest ever number of domestic abuse disclosures for last year. The report found that 40,048 disclosures of abuse against women and children were made last year during 28,638 contacts with frontline services, an 18% increase compared to 2022. READ the report here.

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The effects of domestic abuse often spill over into the workplace and Fórsa has long maintained that domestic violence is a workplace issue. 

Fórsa’s Róisín McKane said workers should feel supported and should not face losing their jobs or income because they are experiencing abuse at home. 

“Those experiencing abuse may not have financial independence or full control of their own finances. If a person’s income is monitored or appropriated by their abuser or both, a change in their normal salary may alert the abuser, putting the victim at risk. We believe the workplace should be a safe space. It’s time to extend domestic violence leave to ten days paid,” she said. 

More than 40% of respondents to the union’s 2022 survey said the work environment offered them some safety and respite from the abuse. Ashley said that domestic violence supports make a huge difference to victims and called on Government improve workplace supports for survivors. 

“Domestic abuse is in our communities and in our workplaces. One in four people have experienced abuse, and one of the critical ways in which people can be supported is by helping them maintain their financial independence from their abuser. Their work, as a source of income and personal autonomy outside of an abusive or controlling domestic environment, helps them to do that.”

“We’re urging the government to extend the statutory entitlements to ten days paid leave for those experiencing abuse, as set out by Women’s Aid and experts in this field. We know the difference these policies make, our members are a testament to this, and we will continue our efforts to support workers navigating a pathway out of abuse,” she said. 

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.

In 2023, over 20,000 of you took part in survey we conducted of Fórsa members. Your input ensured that your concerns were at the fore of the public service pay negotiations later that year. The subsequent pay agreement was directly influenced by your participation in that survey. Now, we’re launching a new survey. 

Addressing the impact of artificial intelligence in our workplaces, the disastrous effects of climate change, and ensuring the best solutions for workers in the upcoming general election and future pay negotiations, will require a strong collective response from our union. That is why we are asking you to help shape our response to these challenges.

We want to know what issues matter most to you. The concerns of our membership are always at the centre of our negotiations and campaigning, and your input and participation will help to direct the focus of that work and secure a better future for you and your colleagues.

As before, we have partnered with Amárach research to conduct the survey on behalf of Fórsa. Your participation is voluntary, and all responses will be anonymous and confidential. The survey is open until 12 noon on 22nd July 2024.

You can access the survey here.

Only Fórsa members can respond to the survey and all new members will receive an invitation to respond shortly after joining the union. So, please use this opportunity to encourage your co-workers to join Fórsa today using our online platform at www.forsa.ie/join.

I look forward to your participation and cooperation in this important initiative.

Kevin Callinan
General Secretary

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.