Third day of pickets by school secretaries and caretakers

Harry Mooney, St Columba's NS, Douglas; Sean Carroll, St Marys School, Rochestown; and Ken Jordan, St Columba's NS, taking part in the Fórsa caretakers' and secretaries' rally at the Department of Public Expenditure. Pickets on schools continue for a third day on Monday. Picture: Conor McCabe

Schools across the country will be subject to pickets by secretaries and caretakers on Monday, marking their third day of strike action to secure public sector pensions and other entitlements.

More than 2,600 school secretaries and caretakers will take to picket lines again after representatives from the Fórsa trade union expressed disappointment at what they describe as a lack of engagement from the government.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik with the Fórsa caretakers' and secretaries' picket outside the Department of Education on Marlborough St in Dublin. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Fórsa’s head of Education, Andy Pike highlighted their plight saying: “This morning, pickets will take place outside schools the length and breadth of the country. 

We have been heartened by the support we have received so far from everyone who works in schools and from the public. 

"However, we’re disappointed that the Government haven’t taken any steps over the weekend to resolve this dispute. 

"Their lack of engagement does nothing to help resolve the dispute. The government should listen to their own back bench TDs as well as the public and take the necessary steps to resolve this dispute now, before further disruption impacts children and families.” 

He said ministers "repeating the mantra" that they are willing to engage through the Workplace Relations Commission "will do nothing to help unless they actually have proposals to discuss and at the moment they do not". 

Right now, there is no WRC process, no talks, and no effort on the government side to resolve the situation.

Chair of the union’s school secretaries branch Luisa Carty said: "We’re at the heart of communities across this country. We want to be back at work, but so far the government haven’t made any proposals on pension provision, even though we know teachers, SNAs and parents support us. The first few days of our strike have shown us how much support there is for our cause.” 

Chair of the school caretakers branch David Hearne said it is "blatantly unfair" that their colleagues benefit from the pension and leave entitlements that come from having public servant status, but they don’t. 

"It’s even more unfair when you consider that in schools run by Education and Training boards secretaries and caretakers already benefit from exactly what we’re fighting for.”