School secretaries and caretakers in Longford will picket outside schools today

School secretaries and caretakers in Longford and across the country will picket outside schools today (Monday, September 1), as union expresses disappointment at lack of engagement.

Today marks day three of indefinite strike action to secure equal treatment and pension inclusion for all staff in schools.

Fórsa’s head of Education, Andy Pike, said: “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.”

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Andy continued: “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.”

“Ministers repeating the mantra that they are willing to engage through the WRC will do nothing to help unless they actually have proposals to discuss and at the moment they do not. So right now, there is no WRC process, no talks, and no effort on the government side to resolve the situation.”

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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. This has really strengthened our resolve.”

Chair of the school caretakers branch David Hearne said: “It’s blatantly unfair that our colleagues benefit from the pension and leave entitlements that come from having public servant status, but we 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.”

Despite decades of service, thousands of school secretaries and caretakers still face the prospect of retiring with no pension.

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School secretaries and caretakers are employed under identical arrangements to teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) but don’t have enjoy the same benefits because they are not considered public servants. They are appointed by boards of management, paid through the Department of Education, and their terms are set by the Minister for Education.