‘The platitudes don’t work anymore’: Donegal school secretaries and caretakers begin strike

School secretaries and caretakers in Donegal have begun strike action over pension parity.

More than 50 Fórsa members from Donegal schools travelled by coach to attend the union’s national rally outside the offices of the Department of Public Expenditure in Dublin while others picketed outside schools around the county as part of a long-running dispute over secretaries and caretakers’ exclusion from the public-service pension scheme.

The indefinite strike action is to continue with a regional rally in Sligo on Friday, picketing outside schools on Monday and pickets outside the office of Government TDs on Tuesday.

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The indefinite strike, involving more than 2,300 school secretaries and some 500 caretakers at primary and secondary schools nationally, is affecting more than 100 schools in Donegal. The strike was supported by 98% of the Fórsa members balloted in June.

Talks the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Wednesday failed to avoid the strike action.

Fórsa members from across Inishowen pickting outside Scoil Íosagáin in Buncrana on Thursday afternoon

Sinead McGranaghan, a school secretary for 24 years from Castlefinn, was among the Fórsa members who travelled to Dublin on Thursday morning for the rally.

“We are sick of hearing that we are the backbone of the school, that we are the glue that holds the school together,” she said.

“The platitudes don’t work anymore. It is time to say that if we are the backbone of the school, treat us like the backbone of the school and not like second-class citizens.”

Teachers and principals are “really supportive” of the strike because “they know the work that happens”, she said. 

“We just want to be treated equally along with other school staff. There is no other building that has people who are not paid a pension where everyone else is, and they have the public service pension. It does not exist anywhere.”

 In Buncrana, more than 100 caretakers and secretaries from schools around Inishowen, supported by members of teaching unions and SNAs, picketed outside Scoil Íosagáin.

Patrick McGonagle, a caretaker at Scoil Íosagáin, said the striking staff from around the peninsula felt it was important to come together at one location.

“People from the smaller schools come here because they don't want to be standing on their own,” he said. “We will be here again tomorrow morning.” 

Breda Harkin, a school secretary at Tiernasligo National School in Urris, said it was great to have the support of teachers and SNA.

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Sheenagh Gallivan, a secretary at  Scoil Íosagáin, said secretaries and caretakers “do public service work and should have public service pensions”.

“It is an indefinite strike starting today, and we will not be back in school until it is solved.”

The Department of Education and Youth said that it recognises the vitally important role of secretaries and caretakers within school communities.

The department added that it is actively working with its education partners on putting in place contingency arrangements to minimise disruption and support the continuity of learning for all students.

"During this action all schools are expected to open for all students," a spokesperson said.