Union ballots school secretaries on strike action over exclusion from pension scheme

Andy Pike, Fórsa’s head of education, said: 'Like every other grade overseen by the department, they must now be afforded the same pension entitlements as other public service workers.'

More than 2,300 secretaries in Irish primary and secondary schools may go on indefinite strike over a pensions’ dispute, a trade union has warned.

Fórsa said a ballot of its members is now under way as part of an ongoing campaign to secure access to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme for school secretaries across the country.

While the union was successful following a long-running dispute with the Department of Education in bringing an end to a two-tier pay system for school secretaries, this agreement did not include access to the public service pension scheme.

The ballot for indefinite strike action was said to reflect the level of frustration members feel about being excluded from the pension scheme, despite the regularisation of other arrangements two years ago.

Andy Pike, Fórsa’s head of education, said the 2023 agreement successfully standardised pay and conditions to end years of disparity in pay, contracts and job security but left a “significant gap in the effort to achieve full equality”.

“Fórsa has consistently argued that pension justice is an essential and inseparable part of the process of regularising school secretaries into Department of Education employment. Like every other grade overseen by the department, they must now be afforded the same pension entitlements as other public service workers.” 

Mr Pike said that school secretaries are highly skilled, dedicated workers who play a central role in the daily operations of schools right around the country. He said to exclude them from key pension entitlements available to others “undermines the progress already made”.

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He urged the departments of education and public expenditure to re-engage with the union meaningfully on the matter.

“A fair and equitable resolution must be reached. School secretaries deserve to be treated in the same way as other public service workers under the department’s remit,” Mr Pike added.

The ballot is set to conclude on June 11 after which indefinite strike action may follow. Speaking earlier this month, education minister Helen McEntee indicated that discussions were ongoing regarding this pension ask from unions.

“That is engagement that will have to happen as part of an overall engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,” she said. “They are an integral part of our schools and it is really important that we support them in every way we can.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "Any proposals must be considered in detail by Department officials and those in Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform as the granting or otherwise of public servant status is not within the scope of this Department."