Irish school secretaries and caretakers have launched indefinite strike action this week, after talks intended to address their exclusion from the public service pension scheme broke down earlier this week.

Trade union, Fórsa, which represents more than 2,800 school secretaries and caretakers nationwide, confirmed that 98 per cent of members had backed the decision to take strike action in a recent ballot.

The dispute centres on what the union describes as the “deliberate and indefensible exclusion” of over 2,600 school staff from the public service pension scheme and other basic entitlements.

Fórsa also argued that the refusal to grant secretaries and caretakers the same employment status as teachers has “locked out several generations of school staff from secure income in retirement".

The first day of the strike, which began yesterday (28 August), was marked by a rally outside the Department of Public Expenditure offices, as Fórsa argued that the department is blocking progress on the issue, despite broad political support.

The strike action was launched after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on Wednesday 27 August, ended without agreement, with Forsa suggesting that the Department for Education and Youth had failed to outline its position on the request for pension inclusion, with the WRC concluding that the gap between the parties was too wide for resolution at this stage.

Fórsa head of education, Andy Pike, said: “We went to the WRC in good faith, but yet again our members have been left with no clarity, or pathway to a fair pension.

“Our members are beginning this strike today because, despite decades of service, thousands of school secretaries and caretakers still face the prospect of retiring with no pension.

“The policy is a calculated policy decision to maintain inequality."

Adding to this, Forsa School Caretakers branch, David Hearne, said: “After 40 years of service, school secretaries and caretakers deserve more than a greeting card, flowers and a gift voucher. They deserve the same protections and entitlements as every other school staff member.”

However, a spokesperson of the Department of Education and Youth suggested that the disruption for students will be minimal, confirming that all schools are expected to open for all students during the upcoming period.

The spokesperson stated: "The department recognises the vitally important role of secretaries and caretakers within school communities.

"In recent years we have made progress in improving the terms and conditions of school secretaries. This has included secretaries being placed on the payroll of the department and linked to any increases in pay under public sector agreements, improved annual leave entitlements, improved maternity provisions and paid sick leave in excess of the statutory requirement.

"Where a school employs a staff member as a secretary, that staff member is not a public servant but an employee of the school, and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school.

"The Department of Education and Youth accepted an invitation from the WRC to have exploratory talks and met with WRC Officials on Wednesday. It will continue to engage with all parties in the coming days, including the commission who remain available to assist with resolution of this dispute.

"The Department of Education and Youth is actively working with our education partners on putting in place contingency arrangements to minimise disruption and support the continuity of learning for all students."

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