School secretaries to strike  over low pay and conditions

School secretaries protesting outside Leinster House in January when they held a one-day strike. Picture: Conor Healy

School secretaries are to strike later this month in a long-standing dispute related to insecure employment and low pay.

Approximately 1,000 schools and the Department of Education next week are to be served with notices of industrial action following an escalation in the continued dispute. 

Three-one-day strikes are planned, starting later this month, following by indefinite strike action in November.

According to Fórsa, the union representing more than 1,000 school secretaries, a two-tier system leaves most earning just €12,500 a year, with irregular, short-term contracts that force them to sign on during school holidays. 

The union has sought to have this group employed under public service terms, in line with their colleagues working for Educational Training Boards. 

Talks between the union and the Department of Education at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) have failed to resolve the dispute. 

A survey last weekend of Fórsa’s school secretary members found that 80% backed strike action, including an indefinite strike. 

Members were also surveyed on the resumption of industrial action during which school secretaries held a one-day strike in January, followed by low-level industrial action in February this year.

The decision to strike was taken because school secretaries exhausted all options available to bring the dispute to a satisfactory conclusion, according to Andy Pike, head of education at Fórsa. 

"This has been an especially challenging year for all school staff, students, and parents in the school community," Mr Pike said. 

"It shouldn’t have to come to this to deliver a fairer system of employment for school secretaries, but they’ve been left with no other option but to take industrial action, and demonstrate their determination to achieve a fair outcome."