'Amazing support' for striking secretaries and caretakers in Athlone area

Standing outside the gates of Coosan National School in Athlone on a grey and wet Monday morning was not where Pauline Nally wanted to be.

However the popular school secretary, with ten years' service at Coosan NS, was joining an estimated 2,500 school secretaries and caretakers nationally in their strike action for pension parity.

"We don't want to be on strike, we want to be inside doing the jobs that we love and being alongside the children and the people that we love to work alongside," said Pauline.

"But we are looking for pension parity alongside our SNA (special needs assistant) and teaching colleagues. We have no bereavement leave, no critical illness leave or decent sick leave.

"When I walk out the door here, please God, when I retire, I hope to have a pension. At the moment I don't, and none of the secretaries do, so I'd like to think that I would have that same pension parity available to me that my teaching and SNA colleagues have."

The industrial action organised by the Fórsa trade union began last week and, on Monday, Fórsa's head of Education Andy Pike said he was "disappointed" the Government had not "taken any steps over the weekend to resolve this dispute."

The strike began with a rally outside the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on Thursday, with regional rallies taking place on Friday, including in Athlone, outside the Department of Education.

The strike has caused disruption, with Clonfert College secondary school in Ballinasloe reducing the number of students in attendance on Monday, though it to opened to all students yesterday (Tuesday).

Pauline Nally said there had been widespread support for the pension parity campaign from parents and colleagues at Coosan NS.

"I got amazing support from the families and I have amazing from my colleagues at work here, my teaching colleagues, SNA colleagues and management colleagues. They're all 100% supportive.

"They were out to support me (on Monday) morning, and a lot of parents tooted their horns and were very supportive of us. Some parents would have had my own phone number since Covid times and I have had fantastic messages of support from them, which has been great."

Yesterday some of those on strike gathered outside the Athlone office of Minister of State Kevin 'Boxer' Moran. The local Minister and Athlone councillor Frankie Keena were among those who called to speak to Pauline on the picket line on Monday.

In a statement, Cllr Keena said he was supporting the members of Fórsa who are on strike, and said there needed to be "a common sense approach" to resolving the issue.

"We have to recognise the work they're doing. I'm in schools a lot, and first point of contact is the secretary," said Cllr Keena.

He added that the issue should have been sorted a long time ago and he had raised it previously at council level after attending a meeting with members of the union.

"They are a key part of school life," he said of secretaries and caretakers. "ETB secretaries get parity on pensions."

He said it was a pity that it had come to this, and that it was causing a lot of stress for parents.

"The Government is well aware of it. Eventually there's going to be some decision on it, so why not work on a compromise without leaving it go to the wire," he said.