RTE’s Drivetime programme focussed on the precarious nature of work for most school secretaries in a special report recently.

Fórsa has welcomed the launch a new gender equality action plan for higher education institutions, which is intended to accelerate the achievement of gender equality in the sector.

Fórsa has added its voice to international trade union demands for reduced working time to ensure that workers share the benefits of increased productivity from technological change.

Fórsa has welcomed government plans to increase paid parental leave from two to seven weeks for each parent by 2021, but says the move is long overdue.

The persistent gender pay gap means that women have to work the equivalent of 67 extra days each year to earn the same as their average male counterpart, according to Fórsa official Geraldine O’Brien.

The Central Bank has approved plans for the Dublin City Council-based credit union Dubco to provide services to special needs assistants (SNAs).

A senior Fórsa official has called on the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) to press on with examinations of recruitment and retention difficulties in all parts of the public service where it has identified issues, now that it has concluded its work on nurses and medical consultants.

The standard overnight rate of civil service expenses has been increased to €147 in line with inflation following agreement at Civil Service General Council.