Members working for the HSE protested outside UHG this week, marking the 14th demonstration held by health unions this Autumn. Further protests will take place throughout November.
Members of Fórsa trade union working for the HSE protested outside University Hospital Galway on Wednesday of this week, marking the 14th demonstration held by health unions this Autumn.
The lunchtime protest, organised by the INMO, Fórsa and Siptu, continued a series of protests by health workers, organised in response to the HSE's suppression of thousands of health posts.
Fórsa has said that the suppression of these health posts is adversely affecting services to older people, in addition to community and acute services and mental health services. To date protests have taken place in Cavan, Cork, Clonmel, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Offaly, Sligo, Tralee and Tuam while more protests are planned.
Fórsa members at HSE employments across the country have been voting in a ballot for industrial action since mid-October. The ballot concludes on 26th November.
The union has said current pressures on services are set to get worse as demand rises in the winter months, while existing staff are forced to cope with an insufficient complement of staff in most departments.
Speaking at the protest in Galway, Evan Stapleton, vice chair of the Galway H&W branch, and a clinical coder at UHG, said: “Staff are fed up, there’s been too long where we’ve been understaffed and been expected to do the work of one, two, or in some cases three or four people. It’s unfair on staff, it doesn’t promote a healthy atmosphere within the hospital, it makes staff feel undervalued. We want to achieve safe staffing levels for members of the public and members of the union. We want to be treated fairly.”
Michael Kerrigan, Fórsa official said continuing employment restrictions are putting patient services under enormous strain: “Our extensive survey of Fórsa members in health revealed the real struggles they are facing to deliver services.Waiting lists continue to grow, and it’s having a significant impact on both our members and on the people of Galway who rely on our health services.
The next protests due to take place are:
Wednesday 20th November Letterkenny University Hospital
Thursday 21st November Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar
Wednesday 27th November Midland Regional Portlaoise
Thursday 28th November St Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin
On Saturday 30th November from 11am to 1pm, Fórsa will host a webinar for Social Care Workers.
On Saturday 30th November from 11am to 1pm, Fórsa will host a webinar for Social Care Workers. The webinar is a once off event to prepare social care professionals for statutory regulation with CORU.
‘Social Care Worker’ is to become a legally protected title in Ireland on 30th November 2025. As a consequence anyone currently working as a Social Care Worker will be required to register with CORU to continue working in the profession.
Over the course of two hours Fórsa will explain the statutory regulations for Social Care Workers and their consequences for workers. No stone will be left unturned. Attendees will come away from the webinar knowing exactly what to expect and what to do during the registration process. On top of this, attendees will be taken through the new code of conduct and what that will mean for workers, as well a full breakdown of what CPD requirements will be in place.
Fórsa national secretary Linda Kelly said “It is really important that Social Care Workers take advantage of this opportunity. CORU registration can be imposing and stressful when you’re unsure of what you’re doing. We will lay out everything in a clear and concise manner.”
After running a regional roadshow earlier in the year, Linda is confident that the presentation will address Social Care Workers concerns. She said “We travelled around the country, taking members through the registration process, listening to their questions and improving our presentation each time. At this stage there are few questions left that would surprise us!”
While the roadshow seminars were for members only, the webinar will be open to all Social Care Workers. Addressing Social Care Workers, Linda said “tell your colleagues, especially if they’re worrying about registration. We have a leaflet you can put up in your workplace. Get the word out that we’re here to help.”
She continued “We know how hard Social Care Workers work. We want to help them get on with the job and not have this hanging over them.”
The seminar is free to attend for social care professionals regardless of whether they are Fórsa members. To register follow this link here.
You can also print this leaflet and display it in your workplace to encourage colleagues to attend.
The webinar will take place Saturday 30th November from 11am to 1pm online via Zoom.
Stand with fellow union members to oppose hate and division in our society.
Fórsa has called on its members to attend the Rally for Unity and Hope in Dublin on Saturday, 23rd November. The event, organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), will take place at the Larkin Statue on O’Connell Street, with the aim of countering division and hate within Irish society in the run up to the election.
“I am asking those in the trade union movement to ensure we have a strong presence of activists from unions across our movement at this rally, to show that all unions stand together in solidarity. Together, let us demonstrate that compassion and unity are stronger than division and hatred. Join us as we rally for a future of inclusion, strength, and unwavering unity," said Owen Reidy, ICTU general secretary ahead of the rally.
Kevin Callinan, general secretary of Fórsa, emphasised the union’s commitment to inclusivity. "Our union has always fought for equality in public services and across society. Every day our members work for the good of all people in our country, whether they’re on the front line of community health services, working in schools, offices, libraries, cleaning our cities, and everywhere else our union is active.”
Fórsa members in libraries have faced harassment, threats, and even forced closures due to protests, with incidents like book burnings and personal attacks on staff. Earlier this week, research published from UCD’s School of Information & Communication Studies revealed widespread fears for safety, particularly in rural libraries, where staff are sometimes alone.
“Why now people are asking – well the demonstration is taking place a year to the day from the riots which left Dublin covered in broken glass and scarred with flames. It was our members in the Municipal Employees’ Division who had to clean that up and it’s our people in the libraries that are so often viciously targeted by these attention seeking hate peddlers. This is no longer just internet ugliness and trolls, it’s affecting our workplaces - so let’s show these members we have their back,” implored Kevin.
Callinan further stressed Fórsa’s rejection of any divisive influences in workplaces or communities. "Fórsa members have been increasingly affected by groups seeking to sow division and hate in our workplaces and communities. We know that there are people who want to blame the challenges in our society on people who are different, when instead better public services and improved pay and conditions at work would make our country a fairer place for everyone.”
Members planning to attend are invited to gather at the union’s headquarters at Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1, from 12:15 pm, where refreshments will be available. The group will depart at 12:45 pm to walk together to the main rally location. While registration is not required, members are encouraged to RSVP to assist with planning. Fórsa also urges members to help amplify the rally’s message by sharing details on social media.
“Let’s make sure we show that Fórsa members stand united for public services: provided by all, to the benefit of all,” Callinan added.
You don’t have to register to join us, but it would be helpful to have an idea of numbers so if you’re planning to come you can let us know here.
Fórsa will formally inaugurate the Fórsa LGBTQI+ network and launch Trade Unions and Progress: A Personal History by Kieran Rose at its upcoming Equality Seminar.
Fórsa is conducting a survey to gain a more comprehensive understanding of LGBTQI+ members' experiences, both in and out of the workplace, and members still have time to take part.
This survey aims to provide objective statistical analysis to help inform our upcoming Fórsa Equality seminar, taking place on Wednesday 27th November 2024. The survey also sets out to inform policy and procedures when raising such matters with respective employers.
The trade union movement has long been a shining light of support for LGBTQI+ people and has been instrumental in battling discrimination and fighting for equality for the LGBTQI+ community.
In 1982 LGPSU activist Kieran Rose brought a motion to an ICTU conference supporting the decriminalisation of homosexual acts on the basis of equality, and calling for equality legislation. This was the first motion if its kind, thus sparking hard fought trade union campaigns, spanning decades, which further improved the rights of LGBTQI+ people.
Over 40 years later, at Fórsa’s biennial Conference in May 2024, delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion proposed by the Galway Health and Local Government branch, instructing the incoming National Executive Committee to establish a LGBTQI+ network to support all members and staff who identify as a member of the LGBTQI+ community.
Fórsa will formally mark the establishment of the Fórsa LGBTQI+ network, and launch “Trade Unions and Progress, a personal history” by Kieran Rose at the union’s Equality Seminar. Places are limited and branches will be facilitated on a first come first serve basis. Early registration is encouraged.
Members interested in attending should speak to their branch and register their attendance here.
If you require any further information, please contact Róisín McKane at rmckane@forsa.ie.
Just in time for the stocking fillers, Hot Press Books is publishing Power to the People, a collection of Michael D. Higgins' influential columns from 1983 to 1993.
Hot Press Books has announced the publication of Power To The People (The Hot Press Years) by Michael D. Higgins. The book is a collection of the powerful columns the future President wrote for Hot Press between 1983 and 1993, covering a huge range of the big issues of the time, including US foreign policy in South and Central America.
The author's royalties for the book – which is dedicated to the late Sally O’Neill Sanchez – will go to the Irish aid agency Trócaire, with whom Sally worked.
The President said the discipline of writing that fortnightly piece for Hot Press required him to stand back and reflect deeply on the history and context of what he was doing, and why: "I put my heart and soul into the writing, developing and refining what I hoped to be a sense of immediate, human urgency.
“The full interaction of my work as a concerned politician and activist was informed by what I was writing. I am so glad to have had that opportunity – and it moves me greatly to have that work brought together now for everyone to see and read – and hopefully to enjoy," he said.
Hot Press editor Niall Stokes added: “Michael D's column was wide-ranging and free of conventional media constraints. It could be devastatingly critical on the one hand, and open-minded, warm and inspiring on the other.
“But it always reflected the deeply-felt commitment to human rights and to the equality agenda that would ultimately see Ireland modernise in the most impressive way socially and culturally. That makes it an essential document of modern Ireland in-the-making,” he said.
The hardback edition, signed by the author, is available only in a special limited edition, on pre-sale now.
The ballot closes on Tuesday 26th November, and we want as high a turnout as possible. Watch and share our new video on the impact of HSE intransigence.
With a little over a week remaining for members to vote, we caught up with national secretary Linda Kelly, who has been travelling all over the country to talk to members. While the cold snap is finally here, according to Linda things are heating up in health across the land.
“In August, we asked members how unfilled posts in the HSE were impacting them, and they shared frustration about being unable to deliver services, the growing waiting lists, and the toll this is taking on both staff and the people they serve,” explained Linda. “Attending protests around the country we can really feel how angry members are. Expressing that at the protests is great, but expressing it in the ballot box is even better."
Ashley Connolly, head of the health division, has also been traversing the country, rallying support and raising awareness about the ongoing crisis. With the ballot still ongoing, she urged active members on the ground not to get complacent.
“The ballot closes on Tuesday 26th November, and we want as high a turnout as possible so that it will be a demonstration of our unity and resolve in the face of HSE intransigence. Get out there and talk to people, in the carpark, in the lift, in the canteen – let’s bring this one home. We’re in this together and we’ll win this together,” enthused Ashley Connolly.
“Our members have made it clear that this situation can’t continue, yet the HSE refuses to engage with us. Consequently, a ballot on industrial action opened on Monday, October 14th. To raise awareness, we’ve been organising protests outside hospitals nationwide in collaboration with the INMO and SIPTU,” Connolly told us.
In an ongoing video series documenting the healthcare protests across the country we captured the energy of a recent lunchtime rally in Tralee where past and present staff members at University Hospital Kerry took part in a lunch-time protest on Wednesday 23rd October over the impact of staff shortages in the HSE.
In this video, Karen Condon, a former medical secretary and workplace representative with Fórsa shares deeply personal insights on the challenges facing healthcare workers amid a prolonged recruitment embargo that forced her to leave a beloved position due to career stagnation.
“I had to move on. I loved working there, loved the buzz at the hospital and had fantastic colleagues. So it was with a heavy heart that I left.” Karen said.
Following Karen’s departure, no replacement was hired for the role, leading to clinic delays, unmet GP communication, unaddressed waiting lists, and morale issues among remaining staff. Many are worn out from overtime and need relief through new hires to prevent burnout.
Seamus Smith, an organiser with Fórsa and with roots in the area explains the outpouring of public support for the healthcare workers. “It is an incredibly unjust, recruitment pause. This hospital is rooted in the community. Families have grown up here. They use the hospital. So of course, there is community support,” he says.
Liz Fay, an organiser with the health and welfare division was kept busy on the day rallying the troops on the megaphone and distributing the placards and flags that added yet more colour to a crisp autumnal day. “I think the one thing that you need when you're out in a protest is camaraderie between the people who are holding the line together. But not only that, support from the public too. So, every car that passed by, everybody who drove by and hit the horn or gave a wave or gave a cheer, it certainly helped to bolster people,” she said.
Liz argues that the dedication of healthcare professionals—drawn to the field by a commitment to helping others—is being exploited by ongoing staffing freezes. “When you enter into a career structure like this, you enter into it because you care for people, you care about people. And I think that's the one thing that has been exploited throughout all the embargo and this continued embargo by another name, the pay and numbers strategy and that is the exploitation of people who are working for the greater good,” she emphasised.
Watch our latest video on these actions here and visit the ballot hub here. Remember to vote by Tuesday 26th November and remind your colleagues to vote.
The work-to-rule will mean that Fórsa members at St Christopher’s will not attend work outside of their contracted hours and won’t engage in planned overtime. In addition, Fórsa members will not take on any tasks, functions or duties associated with a higher grade, will limit their use of personal phones for work purposes and will cease the use of personal vehicles for work purposes.
Industrial action in St. Christopher’s Intellectual Disability Services in Longford is due to start on Monday 18th November.
The work-to-rule will mean that Fórsa members at St Christopher’s will not attend work outside of their contracted hours and won’t engage in planned overtime. In addition, Fórsa members will not take on any tasks, functions or duties associated with a higher grade, will limit their use of personal phones for work purposes and will cease the use of personal vehicles for work purposes.
The issue in dispute is the non-payment of promised increments. Despite extensive engagement it has not been possible to resolve this issue, which has been ongoing for months.
Previously planned industrial action was suspended to allow for talks under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). A proposal that emerged from those talks was rejected by members in a ballot in June.
Since then, local engagement has continued however there has been no resolution. The union’s Health and Welfare Divisional Dispute Committee met on Tuesday 22nd October to discuss the matter and approved industrial action. Following that three weeks notice was served.
Fórsa official Tony Martin said: “The employer has had countless opportunities to resolve this situation and time after time they have failed to do so. Staff are under pressure and not getting the pay increases they were due is very bad for morale.”
Tony continued: “The HSE requested the suspension of the payment of increments in March, stating that they were unable to provide the necessary funding, and the funds still haven’t been released. We’re coming towards the end of the year, people are planning for Christmas, and these workers, who provide vital services are still being left out in the cold.”
“On behalf of our members we have continued to engage with the employer, but they have failed to avert the industrial action. Next week this industrial action will send a powerful message that we won’t let this go.”
"We’re forced to leave the campus and drive into town, or to the main hospital. It’s chaotic there’s no parking, and by the time you get anywhere and sit down, your 30 minutes for lunch is gone." Members have submitted a petition demanding management meet with them to find a solution.
Members of Fórsa working on the St. Fintan’s campus of Portlaoise hospital have submitted a petition to hospital management following the closure of their staff canteen.
Staff were given just two days notice when the canteen was closed two months ago and since then have found themselves with few feasible options available to them when it comes to meals during their work day.
Laois branch chair Henry Hennessy, who has worked in the hospital for over 30 years, described the impact this decision has had on the hundreds of staff who work on the campus every day.
Henry said: “We’re forced to leave the campus and drive into town, or to the main hospital. It’s chaotic, there’s no parking, and by the time you get anywhere and sit down, your 30 minutes for lunch is gone. There’s 400-500 staff here but you can only get a cup of tea at best, it’s not right.”
In addition to hospital services there is a HSE training facility on the St. Fintan’s campus with HSE staff from around the country attending trainings onsite every week.
Fórsa official Tony Martin said: “To date management have refused to engage with staff on the issue, and they wouldn’t even meet members to receive the petition this week. Hundreds of staff have signed this petition calling for management to engage with staff on this vital issue.”
Hospital management claim that the recruitment embargo has prevented them from replacing catering staff and that there is therefore no one to run a canteen.
Henry explained: “During Covid-19 mobile dinners were provided, which members agreed to under the condition that after the pandemic things would revert to the status quo. Instead, now we’re worse off than ever before. We need to find a solution to this so we’re calling on management to meet us as soon as possible.”
Friday 29th November is an opportunity for public sector workers to demand a society that delivers a decent quality of life for all workers. Members can send a strong message to all political parties by taking part in our email campaign and use our key questions when candidates canvass you.
This general election Fórsa is calling on parties and candidates to support our vision of a society that works for workers.
Friday 29th November, polling day in the general election, is an opportunity for public sector workers to demand a society that delivers a decent quality of life for all workers, offers accessible, high quality public services, and which provides a secure future in the face of climate change and advancing technology with regards to AI.
All of these demands are outlined in our general election manifesto which presents policy proposals to strengthen public services and enhance the working lives of our members. You can read it on our election hub here.
Earlier this year, more than 20,000 of you shared your priorities with us, highlighting the issues you want us to campaign on in the lead up to the election and during the lifetime of the next government.
These priorities are:
Meaningful pay increases, that go beyond inflation, that reward workers for their commitment to public service.
The protection of remote and hybrid working arrangements, and a commitment to piloting the four-day week in the public sector, without loss of pay.
Investment in high quality public services, including community healthcare, publicly funded childcare, and availability of reliable public transport.
These issues affect all of us, and if addressed, would not only improve the lives of our members, but also strengthen public services and deliver widespread benefits for workers, service-users, and society.
Members can send a strong message to all political parties by taking part in our email campaign. It takes just ten seconds to tell them what you want. Click here.
You can also print this poster and use the question on it when election candidates knock on your door, so that you'll know if they support our priorities. Download it here.
Our health and social care services require immediate and significant investment to remain sustainable. Staffing levels across our health sector are not sufficient to meet demands, and failure to fill vacancies is placing severe pressure on healthcare workers as they work to deliver safe services. Over the coming weeks we will be engaging with candidates, parties and elected representatives, on the importance of investing in the workforce to ensure that you can carry out your jobs safely and effectively.
We are also seeking commitment to:
Fully implement Sláintecare, including increased investment into community health services, preventative care, health promotion and mental health services.
Adequately resource the HSE to meet existing and future service demands.
Increase the number of course places in the health and social care professions to increase the supply of HSCPs.
Establish a structured, fair and sustainable funding model for ‘Section 39’ agencies.
Ensure representation of HSCPs in the Senior Management Team in the new HSE health regions.
Ensure that all relevant workers who delivered frontline services receive the Pandemic Special Recognition Payment.
There's a full calendar at the Skills Academy with returning regulars like a ‘Lunch and Learn’ session on the BDS campaign and Level 2 Workplace Representatives’ Training taking place in Cork in January.
This winter the Fórsa Skills Academy have some fantastic training opportunities for members.
‘Lunch and Learn’ will return on the last Friday of the month as usual. The next session will look at the ins and outs of the BDS campaign and how members can best take part. Meanwhile applications have opened for Level 2 Workplace Representatives’ Training taking place in Cork in January. A crucial course for workplace reps who want to make a positive impact on their workplace.
Lunch & Learn - Using the International Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) campaign as a tool of solidarity – Online - 29th November
Live Lunch and Learn is Fórsa’s monthly offering to members, covering a wide variety of topics of interest to members.
This month’s topic will be using the International Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) campaign as a tool of solidarity.
The contributors will explain the aims and reasoning behind the BDS movement, as well as informing and educating members on the role they can play as part of Fórsa’s policy concerning BDS and the struggle for peace and justice in the region.
BDS is a movement that relies on the support and engagement of individual people. Members will be glad to hear this session will lay out how they can best take part. There will also be an opportunity for members to hear what actions they can take themselves to campaign for the enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill.
This session will take place on Friday 298th November, from 1pm-2pm. Registration is open and available here.
Level 2 Workplace Representatives’ Training - Cork - 8th and 9th January
Applications for Level 2 Workplace Representatives’ Training opened this week. This training is key for workplace reps looking to be effective in their role. The course teaches skills and knowledge crucial to workplace organising, such as mapping the workplace, individual representation for members, equality & diversity, health and safety, and more.
The course is in three parts over four days. All parts must be completed in order to progress on to further training.
To be eligible for this training applicants must
Be a workplace representative.
Have completed Level 1 Workplace Representatives’ Training
Confirmed their application with their branch chairperson and Fórsa assigned official
For Workplace Representatives’ Training the registration link is sent the Branch Chairpersons, Secretaries and Training Officers. Members interested in this training should contact their Branch Officers directly.
Library workers across Ireland have faced escalating harassment from far-right agitators opposing LGBTQ+ materials, leaving staff feeling vulnerable and distressed, according to a new report by UCD’s School of Information & Communication Studies.
Fórsa members working at libraries across the country have reported feeling deeply impacted after being targeted by far-right agitators objecting to the presence of LGBTQ+ reading material, according to new research conducted by UCD’s School of Information & Communication Studies.
Commissioned by LGBT Ireland and Fórsa, the report entitled Resisting Hate and Navigating Agitation: Perspective and Voices of Public Library Staff & Librarians Against Reactionary Responses to LGBTQ+ Materials, acknowledges the resilience and bravery of library workers, who since 2022, have been subjected to a coordinated campaign of abuse and harassment by agitators entering libraries and attempting to remove books they deem to be “inappropriate”.
Based on qualitative interviews with library workers this year, the research found that library staff experienced a “pervasive undercurrent of anxiety and unease” in their workplaces relating to agitation and disruption, which has been amplified by social media posts, media reporting, and accounts of incidents in other libraries, shared amongst colleagues and library networks.
Workers also reported feelings of anger, frustration, stress, and trauma, caused either by direct experiences of being aggressively challenged by agitators in the library, or by the fear that it might happen to them in future.
One library worker interviewed said: “It's such a confrontational situation, and like there is somebody looking you straight in the face and calling you a child abuser. It's just really difficult to deal with in a way that I didn't appreciate was going to be, until I was in that situation. I would count myself as somebody who's quite resilient and quite able to deal with confrontation, but it was hard.”
Staff working in rural libraries especially reported fearing being physically attacked while they were the only staff member present while the demonstrations were taking place. To protect themselves in such situations, some rural libraries developed “buddy systems” with nearby libraries.
UCD researcher Dr Páraic Kerrigan, described how library workers established a network to alert other libraries that there is an agitator present, and someone from the buddy library will come to either relieve that staff member or to join them and help them so they are not alone. Páraic said "Access to diverse information is the foundation of a thriving democracy. Libraries stand as pillars of inclusion and knowledge, and any agitation and disruption of public libraries and their workers in providing LGBTQ+ materials is not merely an attack on these resources but an assault on democratic values themselves. Protecting the freedom to access information for all communities is essential to sustaining an open, informed, and inclusive society”
Speaking at the launch, Head of Fórsa’s Local Government and Local Services and Municipal Employees’ Division Richy Carrothers welcomed the report and said it helped members “feel heard”.
“One of the most important elements of this report is that it amplifies the lived experiences of workers. Fórsa members say they feel heard. It's an evidence-based analysis of what is being done to them by anti-LGBTQ+ agitators," he said.
Richy, who chaired the project steering committee that put Fórsa members at the heart of this research, went on to explain that libraries are community hubs for social integration, serving as centres of cultural, educational, and academic learning, and must be places free from harassment and intimidation for both staff and library users.
“Library workers need to be protected from this harassment, our members are afraid for their safety in their workplace. We proudly represent hardworking library staff across Ireland who do integral work, including creating inclusive communities. We support our members and they feel supported by their union. An attack on a library worker is an attack on the vital public services they provided. We demand safety in libraries for workers and the people who use them. It is clear from the evidence that Fórsa remained the only consistent voice advocating for workers. Workers also stuck together and supported each other. That shows the power in the union,” he said.
The full report Resisting Hate and Navigating Agitation: Perspective and Voices of Public Library Staff & Librarians Against Reactionary Responses to LGBTQ+ Materials, can be accessed here.
