Important Information – Industrial Action from 28th August
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As you may be aware, industrial action by Fórsa union members (school secretaries and caretakers nationwide) will begin on Thursday, 28th August.
Our school secretary, Bianca, and caretaker, Declan, will be:
- Thursday 28th: on the national picket in Dublin
- Friday 29th: at a regional base
- From Monday 1st September: on the picket line outside our school
Other school staff have been directed to work as normal but will support the picket during breaks. Both INTO (teachers) and Fórsa (SNAs) have instructed members not to carry out duties normally done by striking staff.
What this means for parents
- Office phone – will not be answered; voicemails will not be checked.
👉 In case of emergency, email kburke00@colmcilesgns.com - Office email – will not be monitored.
- Contacting teachers –email teachers directly.
- Office access – if you arrive late or collect early, you may need to wait until a staff member notices you outside.
- Letters from the office – cannot be requested during the strike.
- Aladdin / LunchBag queries – please contact those companies directly.
We will explain to the children Thursday and Friday what the strike means. We will tell them, in an age appropriate way, that sometimes people have to strike/stop working to get fair working conditions and that it's aimed at the Department of Education and the government and not them or the school.
Our Position
The Board of Management of St. Colmcille’s GNS fully supports Bianca and Declan in this action. They both play a vital role in the daily running of our school and deserves parity of conditions with other staff.
We know this action will cause inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience. We encourage parents/guardians to share concerns with local representatives now and urge them to press the Government to engage with Fórsa before disruption to children’s education escalates.
You can also show your support by signing the pledge: https://act.forsa.ie/pensionparityschools
If you have any questions about the industrial action, please contact kburke00@colmcillesgns.com
Kind regards,
Karen, on behalf of the Board of Management
Draft Email to Politicians (copy/paste & personalise)
Subject: Urgent – Support Pension Parity for School Secretaries & Caretakers
Dear [Title] [Name],
I am writing as a parent in St. Colmcille’s GNS to urge you to put immediate pressure on the Government to resolve the current dispute with school secretaries and caretakers.
Industrial action begins this week. Without secretaries and caretakers, schools cannot run safely or effectively. Their absence will directly disrupt children’s education and create significant strain for teachers, parents, and pupils.
These staff are the backbone of our schools, yet they continue to be denied fair pensions and basic entitlements. This is unacceptable. A fair solution must be reached quickly to avoid disruption to children’s learning and wellbeing.
Please use your position to press the Government to engage with Fórsa now and secure a resolution before further impact is felt.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Parent, St. Colmcille’s GNS
Contact Your Local Representatives
TDs for Fingal East:
- Ann Graves (SF) - graves@oireachtas.ie
- Darragh O’Brien (FF) - obrien@oireachtas.ie
- Duncan Smith (Lab) - smith@oireachtas.ie
Subject: Out of Office – Industrial Action
Thank you for your email.
Please note that due to industrial action by school secretaries and caretakers, the school office will not be attended and emails will not be monitored until further notice.
For urgent matters, please contact the school principal at kburke00@colmcillesgns.com
Contact your child’s class teacher directly via their school email for matters related to class.
Thank you for your understanding and support during this time.
