Public service pay will get a boost from this week under the terms of the Building Momentum review.

The latest 2% pay adjustment for local authority staff came into effect on Wednesday (1st March). The union-negotiated adjustment applies to staff across the civil and public service.

The review of the agreement, which was negotiated by Fórsa and other unions in last year, expires at the end of 2023. Fórsa general secretary and ICTU president Kevin Callinan will lead unions in talks on a successor agreement, which are due to commence in the coming months.

Wage growth

As unions prepare for talks, the latest pay figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that average weekly earnings in the Irish economy rose by 4.2% last year.

That figure includes the 3% increase, backdated to February 2022, under the Building Momentum review, and the CSO noted that a disparity in pay increases over the course of the year, between public and private sector, is likely to reflect the once-off impact of backdated pay increases.

Meanwhile, the Morgan McKinley 2023 Irish Salary Guide expects wage growth to ease in 2023, claiming that recent wage increases have become “unsustainable.”

Responding to the report's findings, Kevin said wage increases had not led to diminutions in company profits, and that this was backed up by the CSO’s figures, which suggest that upward pay trends are not accelerating on the back of wider inflationary pressures.

He also warned that many workers are continuing to struggle with the high cost-of-living, as the February inflation rate saw an increase to 8%, up from 7.5% in January, attributed chiefly to food and transport costs.

Kevin added: "As the value of Government supports, such as the energy credit, are withdrawn this will have to be reflected in wage bargaining in both the public and private sectors."

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Fórsa has criticised the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, for failing to legislate to ensure that domestic and sexually based violence leave is paid at the full rate of pay.

The comments came following the report and final stage of the Work Life Balance Bill in the Seanad on Wednesday (1st March).

Fórsa has long campaigned for domestic violence leave to be set at ten days at full pay, as advocated by Women’s Aid. It was anticipated that Government would amend the legislation in the Seanad to ensure full pay would be explicit, but the minister stopped short of giving an absolute guarantee.

Last month Fórsa wrote to Minister O’Gorman, lobbying for this leave to be paid at the full rate.

Fórsa’s head of equality Ashley Connolly said that unless domestic violence leave is introduced at a full rate of pay, it will fail those who need it most.

“The purpose of paid domestic violence leave is to ensure financial stability, and any reduction in pay for those who require it is wholly unacceptable. While we welcome the introduction of ten days leave for domestic abuse victims and survivors, as has always been our position, disappointingly the minister is insisting on a process for determining the rate to be set by ministerial regulation at a future date,” she said.

Research has demonstrated that economic abuse, and financial control by abusers is one of the reasons people struggle to escape domestic abuse. Those experiencing abuse may not have financial independence or full control of their own finances.

Ashley explained that 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.

“There is no doubt that the introduction of this leave is a lifesaving measure, but the reality is that if a victim of domestic abuse has think twice about taking the leave for fear of losing pay or alerting their abuser, they won’t avail of it,” she said.

Fórsa’s Róisin McKane stressed the importance of getting this legislation right.

“We in Fórsa want this leave to work. We want to see those who need this leave avail of it - it is far too important to get wrong. This legislation should not impose barriers for those navigating a pathway out of domestic abuse,” she said.

Minister O’Gorman came under fire by Senators during the debate for failing to include pay safeguards. When pressed, the Minister that he has “no intention of bringing forward a rate that would in any way undermine that goal” of effective leave provisions.

Ashley said that the trade union movement will be working to collectively bargain to ensure full pay for all workers who must avail of this leave.

“People in domestic violence situations deserve to have the security that their full pay will be protected if forced to take leave, and we will work collectively to deliver this,” she said.

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

Problems with recruitment and retention in some public services, including health services, are part of a wider European trend. That’s according to the European Federation of Public Services Employees (EUROFEDOP).

At its Dublin seminar last week the federation said problems with recruitment and poor morale in State bodies is a Europe-wide problem created by individual governments’ efforts to reduce costs.

The federation represents workers in health services, security and military across Europe. Fórsa was represented at the Dublin seminar.

Norbert Schnedl, of the Austrian Public Service union, said the issue of retention has also been caused by the inability of States to compete with more attractive prospects in the private sector.

He said: “There is a need to increase salaries and to improve working conditions in the state organisations to compete. There needs to be hard work to find solutions with the different governments in all countries in Europe.”

Section 39

The difficulties of recruitment and retention in Ireland are particularly prevalent in health services delivered by the Community and Voluntary sector, and funded by the HSE (Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 employments).

Fórsa’s national executive last month backed a proposal for indefinite strike action in a number of community and voluntary sector agencies funded by the HSE. The union will cover the salaries of striking workers in the sector.

Community and voluntary sector employees in a range of health professional, clinical, clerical and administrative grades, are on lesser terms and conditions than their HSE counterparts.

Fórsa research has revealed that up to a third of experienced professional health and care staff are leaving their jobs in these agencies every year to take up better remunerated employment with the HSE and elsewhere.

Health minister Stephen Donnelly acknowledged in the Dáil last October that the Government is the ‘main and often sole funder’ of these organisations, and that its funding affects the ability of agencies to improve pay and conditions.

The union said the minister has failed to grasp the link between its chronic underfunding of the services and the subsequent failure to meet the HSE’s recruitment targets in disability and other funded services.

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

New research has revealed significant inequalities faced by many Roma in the workplace in Ireland.

The first-time research was conducted by Roma peer researchers in partnership with Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre and Maynooth University.

The study highlighted the need for action to stop racism, discrimination, and possible exploitation in both private and public sectors.

Many Roma reported poor working conditions, such as not being paid properly, precarious hours, and being at risk of injury where safety protocols were not followed. Additionally, some Roma had limited access to pre-employment and other supports, resulting in a lack of safety net.

The study found that where interviewees were not identifiable as Roma, they found it easier to access and remain in employment, whereas those who were unable to hide their identity as Roma experienced significant racism and found it difficult to access or remain in employment. This impacted Roma women in particular.

The report further highlights the challenges faced by Roma in accessing and participating in employment, including racism and discrimination, language and literacy barriers, lack of access to necessary training or qualifications, and health issues caused by poor living and employment conditions.

Lack of appropriate transport and childcare support also featured as barriers for Roma, particularly for women.

Racism was prevalent in the workplace, with participants describing being targeted and treated differently from other employees.

Some participants also described extreme exploitation, such as significant delays in getting a PPS number, paying emergency tax for long periods, insecure employment, and zero-hour contracts.

The research emphasised the need for collaboration with Traveller organisations and organisations working with Roma to develop a comprehensive Traveller and Roma Employment, Training, and Enterprise Plan with clear targets, indicators, timelines, and allocated resources.

Additionally, the study recommends implementing ethnic equality monitoring across all relevant state departments, including the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment.

New figures from the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) also revealed racism at work was on the rise.

“Part of the reason is that many people don’t know what their rights are,” said Dr Lucy Michael, sociologist, and co-author of INAR’s annual report.

Research by the European Union Agencies for Fundamental Rights found that when it comes to racist incidents in the workplace, Ireland ranked as one of the worst Europe-wide with a rate of 33%, compared to an average of 24%.

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

The Spanish parliament has approved the creation of a sick leave for women suffering from incapacitating periods, becoming the first country in Europe to do so.

The bill includes provisions for paid menstrual leave for women with painful periods and allows the possibility for workers to call in sick "in case of incapacitating menstruation," the Spanish Congress said in a statement Thursday.

The broader legislation also includes measures to increase access to abortion in public hospitals where less than 15% of abortions are currently performed due to conscientious objections by doctors.

The new law makes Spain the first European country to provide paid medical leave to women with severe menstrual pain, with the state social security system covering the cost of sick leave.

The Bill was hailed by Irene Montero, Spain's Minister of Equality, as “a victory for feminist rights.”

The legislation requires a doctor's approval and is estimated to benefit around one-third of Spanish women who suffer from severe menstrual pain.

Similarly, research published by Fórsa last May also revealed just 1% of employees had the protection of a menstrual health policy in their workplace in Ireland, highlighting the need for action by employers.

One-in-four Fórsa survey respondents had been diagnosed with a specific condition – including premenstrual dysphoric disorder, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome – which resulted in medical symptoms including very heavy bleeding, migraines and nausea etc.

And over 70% of respondents had taken time off work because of their periods, while just four-in-ten of them felt able to tell their line manager the real reason for their absence.

The research also revealed over 96% favoured the introduction of a menstrual-friendly policy in their workplace.

Fórsa is currently pursuing supports and polices on menstrual and menopausal issues for workers and is actively discussing it with employers in the public service through the industrial relations forums.

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

Fórsa members working in local authorities will soon ballot for industrial action in pursuit of an independent job evaluation scheme.

Ahead of the ballot of members, Fórsa has appealed to members to ensure their contact details are up-to-date to guarantee their voice is heard.

National secretary Richy Carrothers said the decision to ballot was due to the “entrenched position of employers who are refusing to negotiate or conciliate” on the issue, and encouraged members to update their details in advance, ensuring their vote is counted.

Local government workers have already received an email from the union asking members for their up-to-date contact information. If you have not yet received this email, Fórsa is asking members to email mymembership@forsa.ie with their employer, personal email and contact number.

This information will be held in strict compliance with the union’s data protection policy and used only for communications on union matters like the forthcoming ballot.

Fórsa’s Director of Membership Seán McElhinney urged members to update their details. “Fórsa wants to ensure your voice is heard, and to make sure your vote in the upcoming ballot is counted, so it’s vital that your union can make contact with you,” he said.

Members are also encouraged to share this message and with colleagues who may not receive the Fórsa news bulletin.

More details about the job evaluation claim can be found HERE.

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

Data from research agency Eurofound has revealed women in the EU are 3.6 times more likely than men to suffer from unwanted sexual attention in the workplace.

Further, the likelihood of a young woman (18–34 years) reporting unwanted sexual attention was three times higher than men of the same age, and 10 times higher than the oldest group of men (50+ years).

This problem is even more acute for frontline workers, according to the latest data.

Healthcare workers reported up to three times higher levels of unwanted sexual attention than the EU average.

The researchers put this concerning figure in perspective by comparing it to just 0.3% of information and communication professionals reporting unwanted sexual attention.

Overall, women and frontline workers were most exposed to the risks of adverse social behaviour at work, such as burnout, exhaustion, anxiety and depression. Adverse social behaviour can refer to instances of bullying, harassment, violence, verbal abuse or threats, and unwanted sexual attention.

Both healthcare and protective services workers (including fire-fighters, police officers, prison and security guards) reported 2–3 times higher levels of bullying, harassment and violence than the EU average.

A variety of frontline workers also reported verbal abuse or threats, some as high as 2.5 times the EU average.

The analysis from Eurofound emphasised that adverse social behaviour at work poses a significant risk to workers’ health and well-being.

It can have a long-term impact on individuals, with the effects potentially lasting for years after the initial incident, and may also affect their families, co-workers, employers and wider social circles in general.

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

The recent expulsion of Irish trade unionist and Fórsa member Esther Lynch, the head of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), has revealed the extent of Tunisia’s current crackdown on any form of political dissent.

Esther visited the country two weeks ago to call on Tunisia's government to release Anis Kaabi, an official within the Tunisian General Labour Union's (UGTT).

Addressing the union’s rally in the port city of Sfax, Esther said: "I am here in Tunisia to say to President Saied: The world sees what you're doing. Stop your attacks on trade unions now."

In response, Kais Saied's accused Esther of "blatantly interfering in Tunisian affairs," and gave her 24 hours to leave the country. It’s reported that she was then harassed and prevented from leaving her hotel. Esther eventually made a safe return to Brussels on Sunday 19th February.

Sami Tahri, UGTT deputy secretary general, has said Esther’s expulsion “reflects the shrinking space for democracy in Tunisia." The union said the expulsion was "shocking" and opened up a confrontation with labour unions around the world.

He added: "Tunisia's interests and its foreign relations will be certainly affected, as countries require a minimum level of democracy in their relations."

Esther’s expulsion was strongly condemned by Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs minister Micheál Martin: “Ireland unreservedly supports the rights of trade unions to conduct their important work free from harassment, intimidation and fear.

“Freedom of expression and association are fundamental human rights guaranteed to all and are an essential foundation of an open, democratic and inclusive society," he said.

The Tunisian government’s crackdown has seen at least a dozen politicians, activists, a journalist, two judges and UGTT official Anis Kaabi detained and labelled as traitors or criminals by Saied in recent weeks.

Amnesty International has called on the Tunisian government to cease the prosecution of civilians before military courts, to stop attacks on the right to a fair trial, and to halt legislation that threatens freedom of expression.

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

An analysis conducted by PwC Ireland of up to 500 companies based in Ireland has found a mean gender pay gap of almost 13%.

The sectors with the widest pay gaps were finance, banking, insurance, legal, and construction, while the lowest gaps were recorded in retail, health, and charity organisations.

The report was published following the introduction of new laws requiring companies with over 250 employees to disclose their gender pay gap by December.

PwC's analysis found that the insurance sector had the highest mean hourly pay gap at 21.1%, which is almost twice the national average. On the other hand, the charity sector had the lowest mean hourly pay gap at approximately 1.7%.

The report also disclosed that 87% of the companies reported a gender pay gap in favour of males.

Companies were required to file fresh reports in December 2022 based on their situation in June of that year. Moreover, smaller employers with fewer than 150 employees will also be required to report from this year.

The publication of these figures underscores the ongoing issue of gender pay gaps in Ireland, which has been a matter of concern for years.

The findings provide insights into where the disparities are the most pronounced, and it is hoped that companies will use this information to address and close the gaps in the coming years.

Fórsa has been calling for effective legislation on gender pay gap reporting since 2018.

The union says it’s a mechanism to encourage employers into tangible action to bridge the gap. Ireland currently has an average gender pay gap of around 14.4%.

National secretary Ashley Connolly, who leads Fórsa’s Equality Committee said she was pleased to see that regulations would give employers a duty to publish the measures they are taking to close the pay gap.

“This would give Fórsa and other unions an opportunity to negotiate actions to address pay inequality,” she said.

“Companies must take proactive steps to identify and address gender pay gaps in their organisations, and the government must enforce and strengthen the laws to ensure that equal pay for equal work becomes a reality for all employees in Ireland,” she added.

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

Fórsa members can now save 50% on their AA Roadside Rescue plan, through a new and exclusive union negotiated scheme.

This new AA Roadside Rescue offer provides for 24/7 roadside breakdown assistance in Ireland and the UK for just €6 a month, and will provide cover whether driving or as a passenger.

This new offer can be accessed exclusively through this portal.

Contact the AA here for more information.