Importance of school secretaries and caretakers stressed ahead of looming strike

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Labour Party Spokesperson on Worker’s Rights, Senator Nessa Cosgrove has today urged Government to step up with a last minute resolution to the looming strike involving School Secretaries and Caretakers.

Speaking following a well-attended meeting at Fórsa's Sligo offices, the former youth worker said, "Many schools are due to start back next week and they are going to be looking straight into a strike by two of the most essential worker groups in the education sector.

“It is quite unbelievable that the Minister for Education has not stepped in to resolve this dispute already.

As it stands, next Thursday 28th August, School Secretaries and Caretakers will be leaving their workplaces, and they will not be returning until the Government meets their reasonable demands."

Stressing that the secretaries and caretakers do not want to go on strike Senator Cosgrove insisted the dispute is one revolving around equality, fairness and basic employment rights.

"These workers do not want to go on strike. They are dedicated servants of the public who love their jobs, and their school communities.

This is a dispute about equality, fairness and basic employment rights.

At the moment Teachers, SNAs and Principals have certain benefits which are not given to Secretaries or Caretakers. These include a universal contract of employment, sick and bereavement leave, beyond the legal minimum and, most crucially of all, an occupational pension."

"The Minister for Education knows that Secretaries and Caretakers are some of the most dedicated members of our workforce. They are often the first people into school in the morning, and remain long after school closes. They make sure that everything runs smoothly, and that the school buildings are safe to enter. Who is blocking this common-sense deal, the Department of Education or that of Public Expenditure?

“I struggle to see how schools can safely and effectively open, at all, without these essential workers.

“The Minister, along with the Department and Minister for Public Expenditure, need to develop a sense of urgency and provide these crucial, highly skilled workers with fair treatment immediately. The responsibility for this strike, if not avoided through negotiation, will lie solely with the Government."

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