This general election Fórsa is calling on parties and candidates to support our vision of a society that works for workers.

Friday 29th November, polling day in the general election, is an opportunity for public sector workers to demand a society that delivers a decent quality of life for all workers, offers accessible, high quality public services, and which provides a secure future in the face of climate change and advancing technology with regards to AI.

All of these demands are outlined in our general election manifesto which presents policy proposals to strengthen public services and enhance the working lives of our members. You can read it on our election hub here. 

Earlier this year, more than 20,000 of you shared your priorities with us, highlighting the issues you want us to campaign on in the lead up to the election and during the lifetime of the next government.

These priorities are:

• Meaningful pay increases, that go beyond inflation, that reward workers for their commitment to public service.
• The protection of remote and hybrid working arrangements, and a commitment to piloting the four-day week in the public sector, without loss of pay.
• Investment in high quality public services, including community healthcare, publicly funded childcare, and availability of reliable public transport. 

These issues affect all of us, and if addressed, would not only improve the lives of our members, but also strengthen public services and deliver widespread benefits for workers, service-users, and society. 

Members can send a strong message to all political parties by taking part in our email campaign. It takes just ten seconds to tell them what you want. Click here. 

You can also print this poster and use the question on it when election candidates knock on your door, so that you'll know if they support our priorities. Download it here. 

Our health and social care services require immediate and significant investment to remain sustainable. Staffing levels across our health sector are not sufficient to meet demands, and failure to fill vacancies is placing severe pressure on healthcare workers as they work to deliver safe services. Over the coming weeks we will be engaging with candidates, parties and elected representatives, on the importance of investing in the workforce to ensure that you can carry out your jobs safely and effectively. 

We are also seeking commitment to:

• Fully implement Sláintecare, including increased investment into community health services, preventative care, health promotion and mental health services.
• Adequately resource the HSE to meet existing and future service demands.
• Increase the number of course places in the health and social care professions to increase the supply of HSCPs.
• Establish a structured, fair and sustainable funding model for ‘Section 39’ agencies.
• Ensure representation of HSCPs in the Senior Management Team in the new HSE health regions.
• Ensure that all relevant workers who delivered frontline services receive the Pandemic Special Recognition Payment. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.