Fórsa members at Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus have today served seven days’ notice of industrial action following inconclusive talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the continued failure to resolve long-standing staffing and capacity concerns at the facility.
The action follows a ballot of members, which closed in May, in which 91% voted in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action in pursuit of a resolution to the ongoing resourcing and safe staffing dispute.
Following two recent conciliation conferences at the WRC in June, Fórsa says that management proposals did not provide a viable or operationally safe response to the issues raised. The union said proposals put forward “were not grounded in operational reality” and did not adequately address the ongoing impact of staffing pressures on employees or the safe delivery of services.
From Thursday 25th June, Fórsa members will implement work-to-rule measures, including a refusal to work beyond rostered or contracted hours and a refusal to work overtime. The union has reserved its position in relation to further escalation in line with the ballot mandate.
Fórsa official Deirdre O’Connell Hopkins said the dispute arises from persistent and unresolved concerns regarding safe staffing levels and the operation of the campus at or beyond safe capacity: “Members have repeatedly raised concerns that staffing shortfalls are placing unsustainable pressure on services and increasing risks in a challenging custodial environment for children and staff alike. If it isn’t safe for staff, it cannot be safe for the young people in their care,” she said.
The union also notes ongoing pressure on Oberstown management, as communicated through the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, to operate at increased capacity levels despite repeated warnings from staff and their representatives regarding safety implications.
Ms O’Connell Hopkins added: “Fórsa has emphasised that the issue is essentially about safety and sustainability in the workplace. Members have previously reported serious incidents at the facility, including assaults on staff and injuries requiring hospital treatment, in circumstances where staffing levels were stretched and operational demands intensified.
“Staff at Oberstown are committed to providing a safe, structured and supportive environment for the young people in their care. However, that cannot be achieved where staffing levels are insufficient to ensure basic safety standards are maintained,” she said.
Despite extensive engagement, including recent talks at the WRC, the union said there has been no meaningful resolution to the issue of safe staffing and capacity pressures. Fórsa has said continued expectation that staff operate beyond safe limits is neither sustainable nor acceptable.
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