School Secretaries and Caretakers Suspend Strike After Breakthrough

BREAKING: A strike by school secretaries and caretakers has been suspended following a significant breakthrough between the trade union Forsa and the Department of Education. The decision, announced late tonight, allows for talks to resume at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

The strike, which affected around 2,800 Forsa members across the State, has been ongoing for over a week, disrupting operations in roughly 2,300 schools. Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee expressed her relief at the agreement, stating, “I very much welcome Forsa’s agreement to withdraw strike action and enter discussions in the WRC with my Department.”

Minister McEntee highlighted the challenges faced by school communities during the strike, acknowledging their resilience in keeping schools operational. She emphasized the need for both parties to engage in the negotiations with an open mind and without preconceived outcomes. “We need to now create space for this negotiation to take place and for normality to return to our schools next week,” she added.

Forsa’s decision to pause industrial action follows an agreement reached at the WRC on Friday, which includes a government commitment to negotiate comparable pensions and benefits for school secretaries and caretakers, aligning them with those of teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs). This agreement reflects the determination of Forsa members who have united in their pursuit of fairness and equal treatment.

In a statement, Forsa stated, “The key element of the agreement is a Government commitment to negotiate comparable pension entitlements for school secretaries and caretakers.” Union leaders hailed the breakthrough as a “major step forward,” opening doors for discussions on pay, bereavement and sick leave improvements, and new protocols regarding acute illness.

Both sides are prepared to resume negotiations immediately, contingent on assurances being provided. The impact of the strike has been felt throughout the educational sector, with service disruptions escalating over the past week and a number of school closures reported.

As discussions resume, the focus remains on ensuring the welfare of both school staff and students, with the aim of restoring normalcy across the affected schools. The urgency of these negotiations cannot be understated, as the future of school operations depends heavily on the outcome of these talks.

Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story as we monitor the situation closely.