Clare school secretaries are threatening further strike action, following a breakdown in pension talks.
The union representing school secretaries and caretakers is referring their dispute with the Department of Education to the Labour Court, after discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission reached a stalemate.
The long-running dispute centres around pension entitlements for the 2,800 workers employed across 2,300 schools nationwide.
A landmark agreement in 2022 resulted in secretaries and caretakers finally being placed on the public sector payroll but because they’re still not classified as public servants, they don’t benefit from public sector pensions.
Members participated in industrial action in late August and early September after a failure by the Department of Education to engage over the summer, but the strike was soon brought to an end, after an agreement was reached with the WRC.
Now, talks have broken down, due to what the Fórsa trade union has called the Department’s “failure to engage meaningfully with union proposals on a range of pension issues, including the recognition of prior service”.
Secretary at St Senan’s Primary School in Kilrush, Bernie Dillon, says they feel “disgusted”, “annoyed” and “disappointed.
The union has confirmed it will now be referring the dispute to the Labour Court, while the Department says it remains “committed and ready to engage with Fórsa to reach a resolution on this important matter”.
Vice-chairperson and treasurer of Fórsa School Secretaries Branch on the Clare/Galway border, Rena McGrath pressed Tánaiste Simon Harris on the issue during his visit to Clare on Friday and has urged this county’s Oireachtas members to champion their cause.
She claims members are ready and willing to go back out on strike if they feel it to be necessary.
Listen to the full interview here