Earlier this year, following a campaign that lasted over a decade, a new pay agreement for workers in the community and voluntary sector was won. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Fórsa members working in Section 10, 39, 40 and 56 organisations will benefit from pay increases valued at 9.25% over two years, backdated to October 2024 and running to October 2026.  

However, multiple delays have prevented members from benefitting from the agreed increases. As a result, unions asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to convene the joint implementation group in order to address the delays. This group met in August and September, and progress has now been made.

Head of Fórsa’s health and welfare division Ashley Connolly said: “We’re pleased to report that funds have been released by the majority of the funding agencies, and many members will finally begin to see the difference in their pay packets this month.”

Due to the large number of employers within the sector, members will not all receive the pay increases at the same time, as each employer must submit relevant information to the funding agencies, who will assess and validate the information before releasing funding.

Ashley continued: “We fully recognise that this has been very frustrating for members who are waiting to see the impact of a pay deal finalised months ago, and while some will benefit this month, there may be further delays for others. So please do get in touch with your branch if you are facing further delays or a lack of clarity from your employer. 

Separately, we have sought an urgent meeting with the relevant funding departments to discuss the data gathering exercise, we will update members, once this meeting has taken place.”  

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