Fórsa: 'No credible reason' for Government delay on school staff strike resolution
Caretakers and secretaries at a picket outside St Vincent de Paul Infant primary school in Dublin by members of the Forsa trade union. Roughly 2,800 have withdrawn their labour and commenced a picket at some 2,300 schools across the country in an effort to gain access to public sector pension entitlements, after discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission failed to reach an agreement. Photo: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
Ireland’s largest public sector union has said there is “no credible reason” for a further delay to Government action to resolve an ongoing strike by school secretaries and caretakers.
Fórsa said it is calling on the Government to “act decisively” to bring the ongoing industrial action, which commenced last week at the beginning of the new school term, to a close.
Roughly 2,800 school secretaries and caretakers have withdrawn their labour and commenced a picket at some 2,300 schools across the country in an effort to gain access to public sector pension entitlements, after discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission failed to reach an agreement.
Fórsa said the ongoing action is causing many schools to “struggle to operate” given the lack of essential daily administrative actions – such as school attendance and refuse collection – being processed.
They said that regardless, “there has been no approach from the Department of Public Expenditure to enter talks aimed at resolving the dispute”.
Head of education at the union, Andy Pike, said the Government can no longer ignore the issue given the consensus forming between both education professionals and some of the Government’s own representatives.
Fórsa said it has received “strong” endorsements of the workers’ cause from at least 40 of the Government’s representatives to date, including 29 TDs and a Cabinet minister.
The union was earlier joined by all three of the major teaching unions – ASTI, TUI and INTO – who gave a joint statement calling for “urgent talks” to resolve the dispute.
“Since the strike began a week ago, teachers across the country have stood in solidarity with these essential school staff, whose work is indispensable and vital to the smooth running of our schools,” it said.
“These workers have been left with no choice but to take action in pursuit of basic entitlements, including access to public service pensions, occupational sick pay, critical illness protocols, and bereavement leave.
“Their campaign has widespread support within the education community and among the general public because their demands are fair, their contribution is invaluable, and their treatment to date has been unjust,” the unions said, adding that given schools are now struggling to operate the situation is “unsustainable”.
Read More
