Information meeting for Donegal school secretaries

An information meeting for school secretaries in Donegal takes place tonight, Monday, March 7 at the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny from 7pm to 8.30pm.

It comes ahead of a ballot of its school secretary members on a set of proposals designed to regularise their employment terms and conditions.

The draft proposals, which follow the Fórsa union’s lengthy campaign for pay equality for school secretaries, were finalised last week at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

The proposals include a new pay scale aligned with civil service grade III clerical officer, an agreed method of assimilation into the new pay scale, alternative arrangements to the current practice of signing on for social protection payments during school holidays, a centralised payroll system and standardised arrangements for maternity leave, sick leave and annual leave.

Fórsa said that while the proposals did not include any substantial progress on pensions, the union reserved the right to press the case for suitable pension arrangements in the future.

Fórsa’s head of education, Andy Pike, said the negotiated proposals marked a timely departure from antiquated arrangements for grant paid school secretaries, a system first established in 1978.

“For more than four decades most school secretaries found themselves employed under terms that left them on low pay, with irregular short-term contracts that force them to sign on during the summer holidays and other school breaks.

“We've been campaigning under the SOS (Support Our Secretaries) banner for more than three years.

"At each stage we have encountered significant difficulties in securing fair treatment for grant paid secretaries requiring industrial action, intensive lobbying and other efforts by our members.

“We've secured access to the proper pay scale, with assimilation arrangements that will significantly improve the living standards of school secretaries, and it provides welcome security of income for thousands of staff.

"Equally, the arrangements for addressing weeks of lay off when schools are closed are beneficial and will ensure that staff are not penalised financially if they choose not to sign on.

“The proposed agreement represents the best possible terms that could be secured from the negotiations, but there are areas of this agreement that fall short of expectations, particularly on pensions.

"Nevertheless, the proposals represent a great leap forward in modernising the terms for school secretaries, who play a crucial role in the day-today life of the school community.

"Fórsa’s school secretaries can now consider these proposals and cast their vote on how we proceed,” he said.

Mr Pike added the union would be recommending approval of the proposals in the ballot, as they represent the best terms that can be achieved through negotiations.

In October 2020 Tánaiste Leo Varadkar gave a commitment in the Dáil to end the system of pay inequality experienced by school secretaries, which had been criticised by parties across the political spectrum. Last September a national one-day strike was deferred after the education department made significant concessions in a WRC-brokered negotiation.

A ballot of Fórsa's school secretary members is to commence shortly, and the union will provide a detailed analysis of the proposals.

An online meeting will take place on Monday, March 14, visit forsa.ie for details.