School secretaries could strike over pensions row

Secretaries in schools throughout Meath could be taking to the picket lines this September if a row over access to public service pensions is not resolved.

Fórsa, which represents about 18,000 school secretaries, caretakers and specials needs assistants (SNAs) recently held its annual education conference in Galway where delegates passed a motion proposed by the union’s school secretaries branch to ballot members for an “all-out indefinite strike”, commencing at the end of August, unless there is progress regarding pensions access.

Teresa Cassidy has been the school secretary at Gaelscoil na Rithe in Dunshaughlin for 27 years, yet she has no entitlement to a public service pension. She explained that this is the main thing school secretaries are campaigning for.

While in recent years they made progress by finally getting on to the Department of Educations's payroll, they are now seeking access to a public service pension and other entitlements such as critical illness leave and bereavement leave and they currently don't have the same sick leave entitlements as teachers and SNAs.

"Originally all school secretatries were paid through grant funding by the Department of Education and it was up to the Board of Management how they spent it. Secretaries were all paid different rates and had different hours and then after a campaign, the Department agreed to put us on the payroll. At the time, they refused to discuss anyting other than payroll. Now we are on a payscale with public service increments and it is absolutely fantastic and of huge benefit. It was a huge step forward and gave all secretaries more job security. Gaelscoil na Ríthe were always fantastic but you did hear of schools where secretaries may have had their hours cut or being let go when schools were running out of money."

However, they still have no public service pension entitlements and this is the main focus of their current campaign. Their union Forsa is warning government that unless progress is made on this issue, it will ballot its member for strike action ahead of the return to school.

Teresa said the last thing she or the other school secretaries want is to be on strike and is hopeful that it can be resolved before it comes to that. "We just want to be recognised as public servants the same as the SNAs and teachers with access to pensions being the main thing. The politicians seem to be on our side but the Department of Public Expenditure seem to be holding back."

Teresa and other school secretaries have been wearing badges to work to highlight their campaign and seek support of staff members and they also have a pledge that they are asking people to sign to show their support.

Gaelscoil na Ríthe's deputy principal Paul Holland has spoken out in support of Teresa and the school secretaries' campaign.

He said: “I find it shocking that Teresa is not entitled to any pension whatsoever, despite being a hugely important member of staff in our school for more than 27 years. The management and staff in our school fully support Teresa’s right to be treated the same as every other employee in the school. Everyone should be treated equally, with each person entitled to the same terms and conditions. “