School secretaries and caretakers strike: Union agrees to withdraw industrial action and enter talks

A trade union representing school secretaries and caretakers who have been striking has agreed to withdraw the industrial action and enter talks with the Department of Education.

Minister for Education Helen McEntee on Friday night said she welcomed Fórsa’s decision to “withdraw strike action and enter discussions” at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

“We all have a responsibility now to make sure that these talks succeed so that secretaries and caretakers can resume their place at the heart of our schools,” she said in a statement.

“We need to now create space for this negotiation to take place and for normality to return to our schools next week.”

Some 2,800 school secretaries and caretakers at about 2,300 schools across the State have been on strike for more than a week.

They are seeking access to the public sector pension entitlements enjoyed by teachers and special needs assistants.

Disruption to school services has been gradually mounting and there has been a small number of closures.

Fórsa said the strike action would be withdrawn to allow the implementation of an agreement reached at the WRC on Friday.

“The key element of the agreement is a Government commitment to negotiate comparable pension entitlements for school secretaries and caretakers,” it said.

Fórsa said this was the first time the State has “formally accepted the principle that these essential staff should not be excluded from pension entitlements comparable to those available to teachers and SNAs”.

The union said the agreement also provided for structured discussions on other parts of its claim such as the conclusion of a pay framework agreement for caretakers (as agreed in a 2022 WRC process), access to bereavement leave, access to sick leave and acute illness protocols, and the full implementation of payroll arrangements.

Fórsa’s head of education Andy Pike said the development was “a major step forward for school secretaries and caretakers”.

“This agreement reflects the determination of school secretaries and caretakers, who have stood together over the past week in pursuit of fairness and equal treatment. It is now the responsibility of the State to honour this agreement and deliver on its commitments.”

Ms McEntee said she had “seen around the country the impact of strike action on school communities” and wanted to acknowledge “their resilience throughout to keep schools open for children and young people”.

“Both sides must come together with an open mind and good faith without preconditions or pre-conceived ideas of a final outcome.”

The sides had earlier on Friday indicated a willingness to engage on all of the issues involved. Mr Pike had said talks could start immediately if assurances were provided.

Friday’s developments followed attempts by the WRC on Thursday to get the various sides around the table. Ms McEntee said at that point that the Government was prepared to engage “without preconditions”, but Mr Pike raised the issue of the assurances.