'At the moment, to work in Aldi is a better-paid job than a school caretaker'

Fórsa trade union’s head of education Andy Pike: 'Our members are tired of being ignored and lobbying.'

When teachers retire, they walk away with a public sector pension — but school secretaries and caretakers only get “a bunch of flowers and a bottle of whiskey, if they’re lucky”, a trade union has said.

Fórsa trade union’s head of education Andy Pike told the Oireachtas Education Committee that school secretaries and caretakers have been “taken for granted, undervalued, and ignored both within the schools sector and the political world for far too long”.

He was speaking ahead of a planned strike by 2,300 school secretaries and 500 school caretakers next month as they aim to secure access to the single public service pension scheme.

Despite a long campaign for pay parity which yielded success in 2023, these workers remain excluded from this pension scheme.

“Our members have decided that after decades of writing letters, decades of lobbying their elected representatives, after decades of being let down time and time again, the time is right to go out on strike,” Mr Pike said.

Our ballot of secretaries and caretakers for an indefinite strike was supported by 98% of members with a turnout of over 80%.” 

He said the union has informed the Department of Education that it is available for meaningful face-to-face talks aimed at resolving the dispute.

However, he did say it is not within the power of this department to grant access to the pension scheme, as it rests with the Department of Public Expenditure.

“The minister [Helen McEntee] says she’d like to see the issue resolved,” he said.

“It’s not for her to determine policy for public sector pay and pensions. I am in no way being critical of the current minister and department. It’s not up to them.” 

The committee heard of a sharp disparity between the pay for school secretaries employed by an education and training board (ETB), compared to those who are employed by a board of management in the independent schools sector.

For ETBs, a secretary is put on a clerical scale and given a 52-week contract, but the other cohort is only employed and paid while schools are open, meaning they earn significantly less.

Mental strain and stress

Committee chair Cathal Crowe said he and colleagues would look into the matter, describing the situation as “woeful”.

Meanwhile, David Hearne of the Fórsa school caretakers branch, told members that the mental strain on caretakers and secretaries at the moment is phenomenal.

“They’re under serious distress,” he said. “They don’t know where they’re going to go for the next loaf of bread.” 

He said that while being contracted for a 39-hour week, caretakers are averaging around 45-50 hours a week, with some only receiving time in lieu as recompense.

Mr Hearne also said that most do not get paid during school holidays, while many leave the job after just a few years.

“At the moment, to work in Aldi is a better-paid job than a school caretaker,” he added.