Fórsa is holding a cross-parting Dáil briefing this afternoon (Wednesday) in support of the union’s ‘Support our Secretaries’ campaign and the union’s planned ballot for industrial action over the two-tier treatment of Ireland’s school secretaries.

The union announced its intention to ballot school secretaries for work stoppages and a work to rule after negotiations broke down with the department in May.

Public meetings are planned for Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Cork at the end of August, concluding with a national meeting in Dublin on the 31st August.

The ballot closes on 6th September and a national ‘Support our Secretaries’ rally is planned to coincide with the announcement of the ballot result the following day.

The vast majority of school secretaries are very poorly paid and have irregular, short-term contracts that force them to sign on during the summer holidays. Fórsa has said the planned industrial action will go ahead unless funds are earmarked in the upcoming budget to address their lack of public service status.

There has been significant public and cross-party political support since the union campaign was launch in January, with over 12,000 people signing the campaign petition and over 500 people attending ten regional public meetings hosted around the country.