School secretaries willing to re-renter talks but call for discussion on new pay structure

School secretaries would be prepared to re-enter talks to resolve a long-standing pay issue if the Government demonstrates a willingness to relax its stance on the matter.

Fórsa, the union representing approximately 1,000 primary and secondary school secretaries who went on strike today, said they would be willing to enter discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) but warned that Education Minister, Joe McHugh, must show an interest in discussing an entirely new pay structure.

The current so-called "two-tier pay system" leaves most school secretaries earning as little as €12,500 per year. Many have irregular, short-term contracts and are forced to sign on during school holidays. Most have no sick pay or pension entitlements.

Industrial action was temporarily suspended in October to allow for talks at the WRC but has resumed since.

Approximately 1,000 secretaries went on strike yesterday, staging demonstrations all over the country, including at Leinster House and at the constituency office of the Education Minister in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

Union members withdrew from working on public service systems and databases.

The action, organised by Fórsa, is set to continue. The union represents half of the estimated 2,000 school secretaries employed directly by their school's board of management and paid from the school’s ancillary grant.

Fórsa claims that it would cost €7m per annum to give secretaries the pay they’ve requested. Mr McHugh confirmed on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke that it would cost between €5-7m but added there were other complications to be considered.

He said that this issue goes back to 1978 and that the "frustration is palpable" among school secretaries.

"They’re the glue that keeps the schools together," Mr McHugh said.

Andy Pike, head of Fórsa’s Education Division, said the union would go back to the WRC if the Government is prepared to negotiate a new pay mode, and signalled a willingness to use the existing Department of Education clerical officer pay scale as the starting point for this.

He also insists that any resolution must end the lay-off of school secretaries at the end of each school term and introduce basic employment rights such as paid holidays and sick leave.

Mr Pike said: "Minister McHugh seemed to suggest that the Government would move off its rigid position if we were to re-engage at the WRC.

"While this has not been our experience during the talks that took place between October and December, we are prepared to re-engage on this basis, if only to see if there is any real movement on the Government side."