School Secretaries and Caretakers have voted a near unanimous 98% for Indefinite Strike Action in the Pension Justice Campaign
Fórsa trade union has today (Wednesday 11th June) confirmed that school secretaries and caretakers have voted in favour of indefinite strike action in their ongoing campaign for pension justice. The ballot, which concluded today, saw 98% of voting members support the move with over 81% of members participating in the ballot.
Fórsa represents more than 2,300 school secretaries working in primary and secondary schools and 500 school caretakers. The mandate for indefinite strike action follows the union’s efforts to secure access for school secretaries to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, from which they remain excluded despite being on the Department of Education’s centralized payroll since 2023.
Fórsa said its Education Divisional Executive will now consider the next steps, with a indefinite strike by school secretaries and caretakers commencing on the 28th August at the start of the new school term in the autumn.
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.
“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.
Mr Pike 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. The union is expecting to finalise similar arrangements for school caretakers this year.
Mr Pike added: “The agreement in 2023 marked a major milestone in recognising the essential role of school secretaries. 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.
“We urge the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to re-engage with Fórsa to reach a fair and equitable resolution.”