‘Enough is enough’ – that was the call from the large group of the school secretaries and caretakers who were on the picket line in Laois this morning.
They, and their colleagues across the country, are on an all out strike in a bid to gain the working rights that they say they are fully entitled to.
An estimated 2,500 secretaries and caretakers are engaging in the action in pursuit of public service pensions and entitlements enjoyed by other school workers such as SNAs and teachers.
Exploratory talks took place last Wednesday at the Workplace Relations Commission but unions said that no proposals have been brought that could form the basis for negotiations.
The impasse has caused major disruptions in schools with some in the country being forced to close.
Members from Laois picketed the office of Laois Fine Gael TD Willie Aird in Portlaoise this morning.
Speaking to LaoisToday, Mary Catherine Meade of The Heath NS and Esther Luttrell of St Colman’s NS in Stradbally, outlined the situation.
Mary Catherine said: “It’s a two-tier system. At the moment, the caretaker and I are the only two people in our school that are not entitled to sick leave, we’re not entitled to bereavement leave, we’re not entitled to pensions.
“If I get sick in the school, I don’t get sick leave, unlike all my colleagues. Children are sent off to the office with a vomiting bug, anyone else who gets a vomiting bug in school gets paid for it, I don’t get paid for it.
“I’m getting older, I have to worry about my future, if anything happens to me tomorrow, I won’t get any sick leave.
“If there is a bereavement, I won’t get any time off, it’s at the discretion of the principal.
“I’m very lucky that I do have a principal that’s good to me, but at the same time, I shouldn’t have to feel like, with a begging bowl, that I’m looking for this leave.
“I should be entitled to what all my colleagues are getting.”
Esther said: “We were never given an opportunity to pay into a public service pension.
“We work in a public building, we do public service work, but we were never given an opportunity.
“We were put on the Department of Education payroll in 2023, and we were given platitudes of tiny little bits of leave, but we were never given proper, constructive leave.
“There are people who are on chemo who had to come into school because they can’t afford not to, because they don’t have leave. It’s a very unfair system. We work equally as hard as everyone.
“We’re one of the main cogs in the wheel in schools, along with caretakers, and if we are not present, things do start to creak.
“You never miss the water until the well runs dry, but the longer we’re out, the more difficulty the schools are going to face.”
Both Mary Catherine and Esther were extremely thankful for the support that they have received from within the school community and the general public since this dispute began.
Mary Catherine said: “I went out to my school yesterday in The Heat, and most members of staff who could come out, obviously teachers couldn’t, but everyone came out, gave us a hug, gave us support.
“My principal supports us. There’s nobody in the school that doesn’t support us, because they see this, they’re shocked that we’re treated one way, and they’re treated another way.
“It’s like the Titanic, first class and third class, and we are third class, and enough is enough. We have huge public support, absolutely huge.”
Esther added: “98% of our members voted in favour of strike, and we have yet to meet a politician who disagrees with our campaign.
“They are all in agreement, but now we need action. Words are not enough now.
“We met the Minister for Education in Galway in April at the National Congress, and she promised that she would take action. So far, she hasn’t. We haven’t heard from her.
“We were outside the door, and there were 2,500 people, and she didn’t come out. It’s not good enough.”
Esther says that the strike will continue until the government come forward with meaningful proposals.
She said: “We’re on indefinite strike, and we’re staying on indefinite strike until the government comes out and has a meaningful proposal for us.
“And also, to settle this dispute is not going to cost the government a fortune.
“There has been money ill-spent on lots of other areas. It’s time now for them to show us respect.
“We’ve done this public service. We’ve shown them respect. It’s time to respect us.”
Mary Catherine added: “I want to go back to work. We all love our jobs. You wouldn’t do this job unless you loved your job.”
Laois TD Willie Aird then addressed members of the protest and gave them his full support.
He said: “I support them 100% and you’re here today, but you shouldn’t be here and as far as I’m concerned the day that it was done for the SNAs it should have been done for the secretaries.
“When they switched over the payment to the secretaries that were being paid from the Department of Education, that’s when they should have been granted everything the same as SNAs.
“If there’s not a prompt response to what they’re looking, this is going to escalate.
“The next thing we’d see SNAs and everybody out here and schools will have to close and that’s it. So we don’t want it to get to that.
“If this is not met now and if the WRC don’t come to the table on this well then there’s nobody to blame if this escalates other than them. Simple as that in my opinion.”
Deputy Aird said he has contacted Minister for Education Helen McEntee on the issue and will continue to raise it.
Mary Catherine Meade told Deputy Aird that secretaries want the same conditions as other clerical workers.
She said: “If I am in contact with a secretary for the Department of Education, they are getting all of those entitlements.
“So what is the difference between myself as a secretary of a school and that person in the Department of Education.
Vice President of SIPTU, Alan Lindley, was also at the protest today and he put it to Deputy Aird that the issue really lies with the Department of Public Expenditure.
He said: “The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are the real blockage here.
“They are the ones that need to be spoken to. They are not engaging with the WRC and are holding this whole process up.
“So we need you and politicians like you to speak to that department and tell them that we need action now.”
Sinn Fein Senator Maria McCormack was also present at the protest and outlined her support.
She said: “I was proud to stand with school secretaries and caretakers from across Laois today as they commenced strike action.
“These are the people who open the doors, keep the schools running, support students, and close up at the end of the day.
“Many have given decades of service, yet they continue to be treated as second-class employees within our education system.
“While teachers, SNAs and principals are rightly entitled to sick leave, bereavement leave and pension supports, secretaries and caretakers are denied the same basic entitlements. This two-tier system is unfair and unsustainable.
“Nobody wants to be on strike. Secretaries and caretakers are simply standing up for their rights and for the recognition they deserve.
“The government has had every opportunity to resolve this issue, but has chosen delay and disregard instead.
“It is time for Ministers McEntee and Chambers to engage constructively with Fórsa and bring this dispute to an end.”
SEE ALSO – In Pictures: Huge success as Timahoe Male Choir and Stradbally Community Choir rock Electric Picnic
