Mayo schools pension parity strike ends as both sides enter the WRC 

The week-long strike shone a light on the vital and often unseen work done by school secretaries and caretakers around the country. 

The picket was lifted late on Friday night as it was announced that both the Forsa trade union, which represents the school secretaries and caretakers, and the Department of Education have entered talks in the Workplace Relations Commission. 

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At the heart of the dispute is access to public service pensions and entitlements enjoyed by other school workers.

Pickets were held outside 2,000 schools nationally and more than 2,600 school secretaries and caretakers took part in the action.

As reported in The Mayo News, government TDs offices in Mayo were picketed on Tuesday and school staff joined the picket in solidarity with the school secretaries and caretakers. 

Fórsa’s head of education, Andy Pike, described Friday’s agreement to enter talks as a ‘major step forward’ for school secretaries and caretakers. 

“The commitment to negotiate comparable pension entitlements is a significant advance, and one that our members have fought hard to achieve. Alongside progress on sick pay, leave, and payroll arrangements, it provides a fair basis for our members to return to their schools and communities.”

“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.”

The Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee, also welcomed the start of talks and withdrawal of strike action with her Department:

“I have seen around the country the impact of strike action on school communities and want to acknowledge their resilience throughout to keep schools open for children and young people.

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“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.

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

“I have great confidence in the WRC in their role as expert facilitators.

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