Fórsa trade union is to ballot its members in health service employments in the community and voluntary sector (Section 39, 56, and 10 organisations), on the terms of a pay deal finalised on Monday (10th March) at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
The union’s Health & Welfare divisional executive – comprised of senior elected workplace representatives – met this morning (Wednesday) and made the decision to issue a ballot with a recommendation to members for a vote in favour the terms of the new deal. Preparations for a ballot will get underway in the coming days.
In a communication to members issued yesterday (Tuesday), Fórsa’s head of Health & Welfare Ashley Connolly said the new proposed pay agreement was achieved following months of ‘challenging’ negotiations, and that the terms build on the terms of the October 2023 agreement.
She added: “This agreement allows for future pay increases, and funding will be adjusted to allow for application of equivalent general round pay adjustments, as provided for in any successor agreements to the Public Service (pay) Agreement.
“The proposed agreement clearly states that any funding provided to organisations under this agreement can only be used to meet the pay increases,” she said.
Ms Connolly advised members that a joint monitoring group, comprised of the funding agencies, employer representatives and staff union representatives, will be established “to ensure practical issues and disputes arising in the administration of this agreement can be resolved in a timely and effective manner.”
The union confirmed that an independent data gathering exercise is to be conducted over the next eight months, once the agreement is ratified in a ballot. Ms Connolly said this process would be crucial in establishing “a shared understanding” of the sector and that, once complete, the parties would re-engage no later than 1st March 2026 to discuss the outcome of the data gathering process.
Fórsa is to provide members with a ballot schedule and an FAQ on the terms of agreement shortly. Ms Connolly told members that the work of achieving the provisions in the pay agreement had continued for close to ten years: “Without your persistence we would not be where we are. This agreement will significantly increase pay in the sector now, and in the future.
“The community and voluntary sector is essential to the provision of vital public services, without which the most vulnerable people in our society would suffer hugely. Our members who work providing these services deserve fair pay,” she said.
Pay terms (subject to approval in a ballot of Fórsa members)
The pay terms of the new agreement are valued at 9.25%, over two years (October 2024 to October 2026).
They are as follows:
2024
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary of 2.25% backdated to 1st October 2024
2025
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary of 1% on 1st April 2025
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary of 2% on 1st November 2025
2026
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary of 2% on 1st April 2026
- A general round increase in annualised basic salary of 2% on 1st October 2026.
The agreement acknowledges that the pay of some workers in the community and voluntary organisations has fallen behind equivalent grades in public sector organisations.
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