School secretaries and caretakers could strike when schools reopen after the summer break in pursuit of better pension provisions after a trade union ballot returned a strong mandate for such a move.
The trade union Fórsa, which represents the school-workers has said 98% of those who voted supported indefinite strike action, with over 81% of those members participating in the ballot.
Fórsa represents more than 2,300 school secretaries working in primary and secondary schools and 500 school caretakers.
It said the mandate for strike action followed the union's efforts to secure access for school secretaries to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, from which they remain excluded despite being on the Department of Education’s centralised payroll since 2023.
Its Education Divisional Executive will now consider the next steps.
The union has indicated that an indefinite strike by school secretaries and caretakers commencing on the 28 August at the start of the new school term in the autumn is a possibility.
"Our members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action because they believe the campaign for pension equality must be seen through to its conclusion", the union's Head of Education Andy Pike said.
"These are committed professionals who contribute to the successful operation of every school, and they should be entitled to the same pension rights as their colleagues across the public service."
Mr Pike said the ballot result reflected growing frustration with the continued refusal to grant pension parity despite a 2023 agreement that secured the standardisation of pay, contracts, and centralised payroll arrangements for school secretaries.
The union said it is expecting to finalise similar arrangements for school caretakers this year.
Mr Pike added: "The absence of pension provision under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme remains a glaring omission.
"We urge the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to re-engage with Fórsa to reach a fair and equitable resolution."
