'The secretaries and caretakers are not for stopping,' says Fórsa from protest at Taoiseach’s Cork office
At least 163 people gathered with placards and flags outside Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s office in Turners Cross, one of 13 protests outside government offices across the country today. Picture: Larry Cummins
Deafening public support for striking school secretaries and caretakers was evident from the incessant car horns that drowned out the chants from almost 200 protesters outside the Taoiseach’s constituency office in Cork today.
‘Beep if you’re sound’ one handmade sign proclaimed.
Some 2,800 school secretaries and caretakers at approximately 2,300 schools have been on strike for more than a week calling for the same public sector pension entitlements that their colleagues - teachers and special needs assistants - have.
At least 163 people gathered with placards and flags outside Micheál Martin’s office in Turners Cross, one of 13 protests outside government offices across the country today.
The protest outside minister for public expenditure Jack Chamber's office was the largest, with more than 500 people estimated to attend.
“Hopefully the Taoiseach might come today,” Seamus Ryan, industrial officer with Fórsa said. “The secretaries and caretakers are not for stopping.
"They’re determined to achieve public sector status and equality with the people they work side by side with, not equality of pension, but equality of how the pension is calculated, along with bereavement leave and access to critical illness cover,” Mr Ryan said.
The indefinite strike began last Thursday, August 28. The withdrawal of their labour is already pushing some schools to the brink of closure, with litter gathering outside schools, playgrounds closed and vital payments unprocessed.
More than 50% of government TDs along with senators and MEPs have now publicly announced their support for the workers, Mr Ryan said.
“They believe this issue is just and fair, and that secretaries and caretakers deserve public sector status, like the people they work alongside every day,” Mr Ryan said. “They provide vital services, which in some cases, up until now, have been hidden services.
“98% of Forsa secretaries and caretakers voted in favour of indefinite strike action back in June. We don’t foresee that strike action finishing until we have a written commitment from Government that secretaries and caretakers will enter into a public sector pension scheme.”
Principal Donal Deasy and Vice Principal Grace Curran were at the protest to support secretary Carol Ronayne and their caretaker who both provide vital services at Morning Star national school in Ballyphehane, Cork.
“The school can’t run without them. Bills are not being paid, rubbish is building up,” Mr Deasy said. My core duties can’t be done properly. The stress on deputies and principals is enormous and schools will inevitably grind to a halt.
“We fully stand by them. These pension rights are long overdue. It’s disgraceful. The inequality of what Carol has to endure working with staff who are all public servants on public sector pensions, and she and the caretaker are the only ones who are not.”
Alarms have been going off without the caretaker while hazards around the school – like broken glass or items falling from gutters – are not being spotted by the caretaker which endangers students, Mr Deasy said.
All afterschool activities are on hold as Ms Ronayne organises these, including swimming which was supposed to have started already. The annual pantomime and transport there also remains un-booked.
Post is not being opened and emails remain unread. No suppliers are being paid and some students don’t have books as no one is there to order them.
The usual assembly to welcome new students to the school had to be cancelled this year due to chaos of the office, Mr Deasy said.
The school is a polling station for elections, but without the caretaker, no one will be there to transform it into a polling station for the upcoming presidential election, Ms Curran said.
Ber Long has been school secretary with Greenmount national school in Turners Cross for 32 years. “We don’t want more than the teachers, we just want some equality," she said.
“I’m not far off retirement so unless the pension’s backdated it won’t make much difference to me but I’m doing this [strike] for those who are coming after me.
“We’re not entitled to bereavement leave or critical illness cover.
“When my husband died, I returned to work the Monday after we buried him. I had three young children.”
This is Ms Long’s first time missing the first day of school in September and not being there to meet – and support - all the new pupils and their parents. Parents have supported the strikers, joining them on their pickets, she said.
Fran O’Rourke, caretaker at Scartleigh national school in Midleton, said that seeing the level of support for him and his colleagues has been emotional.
“I’m 60, I’m due to retire soon. The pay is not great and I do a lot of extra hours. I love the school, I love the kids. I take the kids with special needs when they need time out, even though that is above my paygrade."
The playground now has to close at the school as he is no longer there to remove the busily falling leaves, keep it clean and safe. The area is particularly used by the special needs classes.
Brenda Motherway is secretary with Kilcredan national school in East Cork. She has worked as a school secretary for 21 years.
“I’d rather be at work today," she said. “You do your best for the school and the students. Everyone goes above and beyond for their schools, working unpaid extra hours, coming in to help voluntarily with events.
"Just treat us all equally fairly,” Ms Motherway said.
