Fórsa says further strikes 'cannot be ruled out' as school staff pension talks collapse
Eva Osborne
Fórsa has said that further strike action "cannot be ruled out" after talks on school secretary and caretaker pensions broke down at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Thursday evening.
The trade union has accused the Department of Education of failing to engage meaningfully with its proposals on a range of issues, including the recognition of prior service.
Over 2,000 secretaries and caretakers went on strike for eight days at the start of the school term, in a dispute over public service entitlements.
The union’s head of education, Andy Pike, said any agreement must include appropriate credit for members’ earlier service.
Without it, he said: “School secretaries and caretakers stand to lose significant pension value, many of whom have decades of employment behind them.
“The Department’s refusal to table a constructive proposal on this point has now brought the process to an impasse. School secretaries and caretakers have shown extraordinary patience.
"Their determination to secure a just and long-overdue resolution remains unwavering. But if progress continues to be blocked, we cannot – and will not – rule out further strike action.
“The next step now is to refer this matter to the Labour Court for a decision. Our members were clear in their intention when they took strike action in September.
"They fought for a fair agreement. We remain focused on establishing a satisfactory agreement through the State’s IR mechanisms and will work with the Court to resolve this issue."
The Labour party's education spokesperson, Eoghan Kenny, said he is deeply concerned following the breakdown of the talks.
Kenny said: “School secretaries and caretakers have waited long enough. The breakdown of talks at the WRC today is deeply disappointing and reflects a failure to deliver a fair pathway on pensions for workers who have given decades of service.
"These workers are not seeking special treatment. They are seeking the basic entitlements that should come with long years of public service.
“For too many school secretaries and caretakers, the proposed arrangements would mean a serious loss of pension value. That is simply not acceptable.
These are people who keep our schools running every day. They know every parent, every student, and every part of the school community. They deserve a pension system that actually reflects the work they put in over many years.
“Government must now step back into this process with a renewed commitment to delivering a meaningful solution. We cannot have a situation where long-serving school staff lose significant pension entitlements because of a lack of political will.
“I am calling on the new Minister for Education and the Minister for Public Expenditure to intervene and ensure that talks resume without delay. Industrial action must be prevented.”
