Labour calls for action to avert school secretaries and caretakers strike
Labour calls for action to avert school secretaries and caretakers strike - The Labour Party
Labour’s Education Spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD has called on the Minister for Education to take immediate action to prevent strike action by school secretaries and caretakers on 28 August this year. Fórsa trade union members across the country are set to take industrial action over long-standing issues of contracts, conditions, and pension parity. Deputy Kenny said the Government must urgently engage with Fórsa to ensure our schools are not left without this essential staff.
Deputy Kenny said:
“It is quite unbelievable that the Minister for Education has not already stepped in to resolve this dispute. We are talking about the backbone of our schools — the people who keep them running smoothly every single day. School secretaries and caretakers are the first in and the last out, often going above and beyond to support pupils, teachers, and parents.
“The lack of urgency shown by the Minister is stark. The reality is these workers have been waiting far too long for the bare minimum — pension parity in line with teaching staff, a single contract of employment, and access to decent sick and bereavement leave. This is not an extravagant wish list. That’s why it’s baffling that the Minister has allowed this to escalate to the point of strike action, rather than sitting down with Fórsa to hammer out a fair agreement.
“The Minister must act now. The strike date is set, and the clock is ticking. There is still time to resolve this, but it will require meaningful engagement and a commitment to treating these workers with the dignity they deserve. We cannot have a situation where classrooms reopen but the front office is closed and the buildings are without proper maintenance.
“I’m calling on Minister Helen McEntee to immediately meet with Fórsa trade union, negotiate in good faith, and deliver for these workers. Give them pension parity, a single contract, and access to decent sick and bereavement leave. Give them the respect and dignity they deserve.”