Talks between the Department of Education and the Fórsa trade union are to take place at the Workplace Relations Commission in a bid to resolve a dispute involving pay and conditions of school secretaries and caretakers.
The row centres on a two-tier pay system, whereby secretaries employed by the Department enjoy the status and benefits of public servants, while those employed by individual schools are on temporary contracts, low pay, and have to sign-on during school holidays.
Last month, the secretaries commenced a work-to-rule where they have refused to engage with public service IT systems, on the basis that if they are not treated as public servants, they should not have to deal with those systems.
In a statement, the Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh acknowledged that Fórsa had lodged a claim in respect of school secretaries and caretakers, and expressed regret that Fórsa was engaging in industrial action.
The Department has now agreed to participate in discussions with Fórsa under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission.
The Minister said: "The Department will be requesting, and I am personally requesting, the assistance of the WRC in ensuring that once talks commence the industrial action be stood down to enable these discussions to progress."
He said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on the potential outcome of the WRC process, but hoped that a mutually acceptable solution can be found.
