GOREY, IRELAND — A week-and-a-half-long strike by school secretaries and caretakers has come to an end, following a breakthrough in negotiations between the Fórsa trade union and the Department of Education. The strike, which had its most visible impact at Gorey Community School, was initiated to demand equal pay, pensions, and benefits for all school support staff.
The strike action, which had limited attendance at Ireland’s largest school, caused significant disruption. According to school principal Michael Finn, the absence of caretakers led to a piling up of rubbish and fears of a vermin infestation. “Once you get vermin in a school of this size then really it’s game over,” Finn stated, highlighting the severity of the situation. The school was forced to cancel hot meals, ask students to bring home their waste, and operate on a limited schedule.
The dispute brought to light a two-tiered employment system where some staff, employed before the mid-90s, enjoy full public sector entitlements, while others, hired later, are on lesser terms. This arbitrary distinction was a central grievance. Gorey Community School’s staff exemplified this issue, with two of its four secretaries and one of its three caretakers working on inferior contracts despite performing the same jobs. Brian Dowling, a caretaker on lesser conditions who has worked at the school for 19 years, described the role as a vocation and the conditions as “crappy.”
The tension escalated when the school management hired a contract cleaning company to clear the mounting waste, a move which some strikers felt was a “kick in the teeth.” However, the school maintained it was in a difficult position and fully supported the strikers’ cause.
The protest culminated on Friday when a group of parents joined the striking workers on the picket line, intensifying pressure on the government. Later that same day, Fórsa’s Head of Education, Andy Pike, announced a potential resolution, stating that there had been “some movement on delivering pension parity.” The breakthrough was confirmed late on Friday by Minister for Education Helen McEntee, leading to the immediate withdrawal of all strike action. The resolution signals a potential shift towards ensuring all school secretaries and caretakers are treated equitably.
