Public services union Fórsa has suspended industrial action by school secretaries planned to begin on 23 October. This was to be part of a long-running campaign to end a two-tier pay system that leaves most school secretaries earning just €12,500 a year, with irregular, short-term contracts that force them to sign on to receive benefits during the summer holidays and other school breaks. Following a commitment from the government the union has agreed to talks at the Workplace Relations Commission which will begin on 27 October.
Unions suspends school secretaries' strike
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School strike suspended
After three weeks the national strike by school staff has been suspended but the ZNP teachers' union is determined to maintain its campaign for more funding for education and better pay for teachers and other school workers. The union says that the first stage of the strike was a success in putting education at the centre of the national debate and highlighting the low levels of pay across the sector. While the union has secured a 10% pay increase it remains committed to higher pay as well as aiming for major reforms of the education system and getting a commitment to increased funding.
School secretaries suspend industrial action to return to talks
Following the strike action by school secretaries on 10 January and subsequent industrial action (work-to-rule), Forsa their trade union has agreed to return to talks with the government that are being held by the Workplace Relations Committee conciliation service. The strike action is over the poor pay and conditions suffered by around 2000 school secretaries employed on precarious contracts by local schools (see last issue of EPSU Collective Bargaining News). Forsa is looking for real and significant progress in the talks otherwise the industrial action will re-start.
Union makes progress for school secretaries
After a campaign of lobbying and industrial action lasting for over three years, the Fórsa public services trade union is to ballot its school secretary members on proposals to standardise their employment terms and conditions as drafted in negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission. The union will recommend its members vote to support the new arrangements which will contribute to reducing different pay arrangements for school secretaries depending on whether they are directly employed by schools or by central government. There will be a new pay scale and an agreed method of