Fórsa has said the newly announced review of the national SNA contract has finally shown sign of progress on improving job security for SNAs following the union’s #RespectforSNAs campaign. 

The union’s head of Education, Andy Pike, said the union had secured agreement that the review - announced by the Minister for Special Education on Monday (2^nd October) - will include a range of measures specifically sought by the union’s campaign, and brings Fórsa closer to delivering beneficial changes to terms and conditions for its SNA members.

Andy said: “The review will encompass the establishment of a pilot redeployment scheme for SNAs and establish new minimum entry qualifications. These agreed aspects are crucial to minimising the risk of redundancy for SNAs and takes a meaningful step toward the professionalisation of the SNA role.”

He said the review is also due to address more contentious working arrangements, including the “72 hour” obligation, which has led to SNAs being tasked with inappropriate work, such as cleaning and maintenance.

Workforce Development Plan

Fórsa also responded to Monday’s announcement that a new national SNA Workforce Development Plan will be established over the next two years.

The plan is to address several key areas, including:

• Review and development of the SNA role
• Establishment of a quality assurance framework
• Establishment of a SNA learning and development programme
• Supporting SNA recruitment, retention and diversity

The Department of Education is to shortly commence this work with a survey of SNAs.

Andy said Fórsa will be engaging with the department on details of the plan over its two-year development and will press for much greater recognition and respect for SNAs: “We plan to engage positively on the development of this plan. Many of the issues highlighted are long overdue for attention.

“Minimum qualifications are currently outdated, so there is a real opportunity now to build on the progress made through the establishment of the UCD national SNA training programme. Equally, we have campaigned for many years against the allocation of inappropriate work to SNAs.

“Fórsa agrees that the SNA role should be an attractive career choice but real change, and genuine improvements to terms and conditions, must be made to achieve that objective.

“This is the first time that we’ve achieved any agreement with the department on the use of the so-called “72 hours” and June working arrangements for SNAs in secondary schools. These additional hours are widely abused and Fórsa’s aim is to see them abolished,” he said.

Mr Pike extended his thanks to everyone who has supported the #RespectforSNAs campaign: “These latest developments simply would not have been possible were it not for the efforts of thousands of SNA members and others who supported the campaign.

“That continued support will provide us with the best opportunity to make significant changes on behalf of all SNAs and the children they care for,” he said.

It’s never been easier to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

Fórsa’s national executive has backed a core set of priorities for upcoming public service pay talks, and these were subsequently endorsed by the ICTU Public Service Committee (PSC), which represents all ICTU-affiliated unions with members in the civil and public service,

The current public service pay agreement, Building Momentum, expires at the end of 2023. The final pay improvement under the deal, an increase of 1.5% or €750 (whichever is greater) applies to public service payroll from this week (1^st October).

To avoid industrial relations turmoil, a successor agreement will need to be negotiated and ratified before the current deal expires, and talks are expected to get underway shortly.

Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan chairs the PSC. He said the unions’ priority objective is to secure appropriate pay measures in response to continuing cost-of-living pressures on working families. He said cost pressures, including rising mortgage interest rates and corporate profiteering, continue to erode wages. 

Kevin added: “Unions are also focused on stabilising public pay agreements, as there’s been an inconclusive process of engagement on Building Momentum’s commitment to address outstanding issues that affect several public service grades, groups and categories.

“The intention of both union and Government representatives was to have this process concluded before entering talks on a new agreement for 2024. To stabilise the current agreement, and to ensure a successor agreement commences on a solid foundation, an agreed process for dealing with issues affecting specific groups and grades is essential,” he said.

Kevin said normalising public service industrial relations is also a key priority: “This includes appropriate access to the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court, and the final dismantling of remaining pieces of FEMPI legislation.

“We need to move on from a process of industrial relations shaped by the response to the 2009 financial crisis,” he said.

Unions have also agreed on pursuing measures to ensure the ‘future-proofing’ of quality public services and public service employment.

Kevin said the most recent figures on population made this an essential feature of upcoming talks: “With a growing population of more than five million, we do need to ensure that the State can continue to build and maintain quality public services designed to respond to people’s needs,” he said.

It’s never been easier to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

Civil servants experiencing domestic violence will now be able to avail of paid leave of up to five days per year, following the recent passage of legislation to bring in paid domestic violence leave.

Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure, announced last week that the new policy in the Civil Service would allow for up to five days fully paid leave per year for civil servants suffering domestic violence from their spouse or partner or their child.

Fórsa has campaigned on this issue since 2022, and the leave has been legislated for under the work life balance and miscellaneous provisions act 2023, signed into law in April.

At the union’s conference in May last year, Fórsa delegates unanimously backed a conference motion for statutory paid leave for victims of domestic violence. The conference motion committed the union to actively campaign to legislate for an effective statutory entitlement to paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

The new policy contains safeguards so that anyone taking domestic violence leave will be able to do so without their entire workplace finding out, requiring managers to keep information on domestic violence disclosures, and leave applications, confidential.

They must be willing to change a civil servant’s work phone and email so that they cannot be contacted in work by their abuser.

Managers will also be required to have a designated and locked place in which to store information and will be encouraged to watch out for any “changes in performance, attendance and behaviour” and any signs of “bruises or injuries with implausible explanations.”

The policy advises managers to “gauge when to start a conversation” about potential supports if the cause could be domestic violence and abuse and will also be required to consider changing the work duties and working patterns of a civil servant who is suffering from domestic violence on a temporary basis.

Fórsa members continue to campaign on this issue. SNA and North Dublin North Leinster member Linda O’Sullivan is running the Dublin Marathon later this month for Women's Aid. Linda said: “This charity has a special place in my heart. At Fórsa conference last year our members voted unanimously to pass a motion for paid domestic violence for victims- something which is becoming a reality this Autumn. I would really appreciate the support of members in helping to raise as much as we can to allow Women's Aid to continue their work.” Click here to donate

All workers currently covered by the Building Momentum agreement will receive a pay increase of 1.5% or €750 (whichever is greater), effective from 1^st October 2023. 

Pay scales for Fórsa members are currently being updated on the Fórsa website, reflecting the final pay adjustment under the Building Momentum Pay Agreement.

The deal, which was originally negotiated by Fórsa and other unions in 2020, with an extension to the agreement negotiated again in 2022, has delivered six pay adjustment to date totalling 7.5%

You can view the revised payscales on the Fórsa website HERE.

Anticipation ahead of next week’s budget is now at fever pitch. Our call to Government has been to bridge the inflation gap through investment in public services. When wages aren’t keeping up with rising costs, Government must respond with financial assistance and by improving the services that people rely on every day.

It’s easy to talk about the cost-of-living crisis as if it’s an abstract issue and to quote statistics about inflation. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that at its core this is a bread-and-butter issue. Quite literally - the cost of bread and butter, and everything else, just keeps going up.

In next week’s Budget we want to see clear commitments from Government that they will use the public purse to provide cost of living supports and to invest in the public services that will improve life for everyone in this country and make it a little bit easier to get by. Last year the household energy credits, and the introduction of free schoolbooks, were examples of tangible measures that had a real impact. This year we need to see creative thinking and investment in childcare, in education, in health, the things that shape our daily lives.

Action is also needed to address rising mortgage interest rates, which affects not only homeowners when monthly repayments go up, but renters too, as landlords decide to sell or to increase rents.

As we begin to see analysts pointing to a possible slow down in the economy, we again reiterate our message that now is not the time to reduce the tax base, but instead to make the public investment needed to make everyday life more affordable. 

Of course, employers must step up to the plate too and this includes the Government. Building Momentum expires at the end of 2023, and last week the ICTU Public Services Committee, which I chair, agreed its four pillars for negotiations on a possible new public service agreement. Our priority will be to ensure that wherever the Budget doesn’t go far enough to address the cost of living, pay increases for public sector workers must make up the difference. You can read more about our approach below.

One creative measure Government could announce next week that would demonstrate their appreciation of the contribution workers make to our society and economy, and the role trade unions play in ensuring fairness at work, would be to announce tax relief on union subscriptions. Fórsa continues to campaign for a reversal of this austerity-era decision to eliminate this tax relief.  Strong unions mean strong workforces so this policy would benefit workers and the wider economy.

Our union is a strong union. We are proud of our colleagues in Local Government who recently undertook industrial action. They secured a commitment to a roadmap for job evaluation in local authorities.

Our members and officials in health are engaged in several disputes all of which have fairness and respect at their heart. From today, clerical admin and managerial grade members in the HSE will begin a work to rule action, and on Tuesday October 17^th our members delivering health services in the community and voluntary sector will begin indefinite strike action. I hope you will join with me in standing in solidarity with members across all our divisions. 

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours,

Kevin Callinan

General Secretary.

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

Fórsa are teaming up with Cornmarket , for the second time, to roll out a potentially life-saving breast and prostate health assessment and education programme to thousands of members of the Fórsa Salary Protection Scheme.

The Pink and Blue Power programme aims to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of common cancers and provide members with vital education and the opportunity for a once-off clinical physical exam. 

All-Ireland winners, Dublin GAA players Leah Caffrey and James McCarthy, joined us in Fórsa HQ to celebrate the launch.

The last programme back in 2019 was a huge success. It was launched in response to a high level of cancer claims in the scheme, and acknowledging that 1 in 9 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, while 1 in 7 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The initial GP appointment only takes 15 minutes and includes:

• A clinical physical breast/prostate examination
• Education on signs and symptoms of breast/prostate cancer
• How to perform a breast exam (for women)
• PSA Blood test for men (to measure Prostate Specific Antigen)
• Personal report with clinical findings.

If further investigation is required, members are referred to a participating private clinic in Dublin, Cork or Galway for a consultation, scanning and a biopsy, if necessary.

Fórsa President Michael Smyth welcomed the initiative and encouraged all members to sign up for the scheme:

“Health is something we must not take for granted. The programme gives our members easy access to screenings, and we cannot underestimate the importance they may have in someone’s life. During the last programme, hundreds of participants were sent for further tests, and 5 Fórsa members were diagnosed with cancer. Their outlook was improved thanks to the programme.

“It was a pleasure to welcome both Leah Caffrey and James McCarthy to Fórsa and I’d like to applaud them for getting behind the campaign. Everyone has been affected by cancer in one way or another and we must continue to advocate for early diagnosis through programmes like this.”

 For more information, you can visit cornmarket.ie/pink-blue-power/

Pink & Blue Power is a benefit of the Fórsa Salary Protection Scheme. Not a member of the Scheme yet? Visit cornmarket.ie/forsa for more on benefits and how to apply.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

Fórsa is inviting eligible members and activists to apply to its third level grant support scheme, which gives limited financial assistance to those undertaking certified educational courses – up to third level – that will assist them in carrying out their union representative role.

The programme requires that the qualifications and skills achieved through the scheme supported courses will be of benefit to the member in their work, union and personal life.

The scheme does not cover courses designed to enhance professional or career development unless they also improve a member’s ability to act as a Fórsa rep.

Applicants must be fully paid-up Fórsa members and can only apply by completing the application form. They must also have the support of their own Fórsa branch.

The closing date for applications is 5.30pm on Friday 13th October 2023, and all applications must be submitted by email to: bursaries@forsa.ie.

Full details of the application requirements and available support are available here. .

The approved application form is available here.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.