School secretaries and caretakers vote in favour of indefinite strike action from start of school term for ‘pension justice'
Fórsa said its Education Divisional Executive will now consider the next steps.
The spokesperson said an indefinite strike by school secretaries and caretakers will begin at the start of the new school term from August 28.
Fórsa represents more than 2,300 school secretaries and 500 school caretakers working in primary and secondary schools.
Fórsa is aiming to secure access for school secretaries to a public service pension scheme, known as the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.
The spokesperson said they are excluded from the scheme despite being on the Department of Education's centralised payroll since 2023.
Andy Pike, Fórsa's head of education, said the ballot result sends a clear message about the strength of feeling among school secretaries and caretakers.
'Our members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action because they believe the campaign for pension equality must be seen through to its conclusion,' he said.
'These are committed professionals who contribute to the successful operation of every school, and they should be entitled to the same pension rights as their colleagues across the public service.
He said the ballot result reflects growing frustration with the 'continued refusal' to grant pension parity, despite a 2023 agreement that secured the standardisation of pay, contracts, and centralised payroll arrangements for school secretaries.
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Mr Pike said the union expects to finalise similar arrangements for school caretakers this year.
'The agreement in 2023 marked a major milestone in recognising the essential role of school secretaries,' he said. 'But the absence of pension provision under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme remains a glaring omission. Fórsa has always argued that pension justice is an essential part of full equality.'
He urged the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to re-engage with the union.
The Irish Independent has asked the Department of Education for a comment.
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