Also in this issue
 
Win free car and home insurance
by Róisín McKane
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Your right to workplace health and safety
by Róisín McKane
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Unions denounce murder attempt
by Bernard Harbor
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Housing affordability gap doubled
by Mehak Dugal
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Public service can address Traveller employment
by Róisín McKane
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Stay Covid-safe
by Hazel Gavigan
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Join Fórsa online

 

 

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Fórsa: Here to support you

 

 

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WRC hearings to open to public
by Bernard Harbor
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Colombia news and May Day screening
by Niall Shanahan
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What do you think?
Your Fórsa bulletin is produced by the Fórsa Communications Unit, with input from across the union. We welcome your comments and suggestions for stories to cover.
Fórsa wins parity on breastfeeding breaks
by Niall Shanahan
 

Fórsa has secured an agreement at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on the provision of breastfeeding breaks for SNAs. The union took the case to the WRC after the discovery of a disparity in provision between teachers and SNAs. 

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No call for austerity re-run
by Bernard Harbor
 

New official forecasts predict a strong post-Covid economic bounce in Ireland, with growth of 4.5% per cent this year and 5% in 2022.

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WRC hears SNA qualifications claim
by Bernard Harbor
 

Fórsa’s claim for a higher minimum qualification for special needs assistants (SNAs) had its first outing in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) earlier this week.

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New executive team elected
by Roisin McKane
 

For the second term running, Fórsa’s Education Division executive committee is made up exclusively of women, with representatives elected from branches representing higher education, NETB, the school completion programme, school secretaries and special needs assistants.

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Fórsa seeks priority on vaccine for SNAs
by Niall Shanahan  
 

Fórsa has made representations to Government on the need to ensure that staff working in exposure prone areas are given the protection of the vaccine at the earliest possible opportunity.

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Living wage breakthrough beckons
by Hazel Gavigan
 

Ireland’s national minimum wage could be replaced by a superior ‘living wage’ once the Low Pay Commission produces a report on the issue later this year. A living wage, defined as the minimum necessary for a single full-time worker to meet their basic needs, is currently estimated at €12.30 an hour. That’s 20% more than the current statutory minimum wage of €10.20.

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Age discrimination rife in jobs market
by Mehak Dugal
 

Almost 90% of workers aged over 55 believe they suffered age discrimination when looking for jobs. More than a third of respondents to a new survey also said employers considered them too old for sectors such as IT.

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Reform talks to wrap up soon
by Bernard Harbor
 

Discussions aimed at agreeing an ‘action plan’ for education sector reforms are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. The action plan will outline measures to be implemented under the reform provisions of the new public service agreement, Building Momentum.

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Event: Mental health webinar
by Hazel Gavigan
 

Fórsa president Michael Smyth is organising a mental health webinar for members, which will focus on building resilience. The one-hour virtual event takes place at 7.00pm on Thursday 6th May.

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Period poverty back in the news
by Hazel Gavigan and Mehak Dugal
 

The issue of period poverty is back in the headlines after supermarket chain Lidl this week announced it is to make period products free in its stores across the country.

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Covid hits Ireland’s low paid hardest
by Mehak Dugal
 

Ireland’s minimum wage workers are likely to have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic compared to their European counterparts, according to new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) research.

 

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