More than a decade since the economic crash, public service pay and conditions are still being framed by an “emergency mind-set,” despite Ireland’s return to robust growth, exchequer finances and employment rates, according to Fórsa’s general secretary.

Almost 60 temporary clerical officers working in the children and family agency Tusla are being transferred onto permanent contracts as part of a stabilisation programme negotiated by Fórsa.

Fórsa members in a small number of ‘section 39’ agencies are to be balloted for industrial action in the latest phase of the union’s campaign for pay justice in independent organisations that rely on State funding to deliver vital health and care services.

Fórsa’s head of health Éamonn Donnelly has urged members to use the general election as an opportunity to push Irish healthcare reform up the political agenda.

Tusla staff will have access to a job evaluation scheme from the end of this month. The Fórsa-negotiated deal, which comes into effect on 31st January , makes job evaluation available to clerical and administrative grades III to VI.

Derry City and Strabane District Council has become the first Northern Ireland employment of its kind to adopt a menopause policy.

Fórsa and other unions have slammed Government plans to further increase the state pension qualifying age to 67 next January and to 68 in 2028.

The deadline for members’ submissions to the Fórsa ‘Strategic Organisational Review Team’ (SORT) exercise, is the end of January.