Special needs assistants in schools could strike over the cost of living crisis.
Forsa - the trade union that represents SNAs - is set to ballot its members due to increasing concerns over the cost of living crisis. They confirmed that principals had been notified of their intentions to ballot staff on September 1.
Linda O’Sullivan, a special needs assistant and Forsa member, says a decision to strike would not be taken lightly - but that it may be necessary in the coming weeks. She says special needs assistants are feeling the pinch from increasing living costs, coupled with long-standing frustrations over pay.
READ MORE : 'Colossal' cash burden on parents to pay for hospital food in Dublin
Linda says: “We’ve had members concerned about the petrol and diesel costs of getting to school . A lot of them might live in a built up area but are working in small country schools.
"It would be our hope that the government could be reasonable and give us some form of meaningful engagement to deal with the cost of living crisis.” The news follows the recent success of school secretaries, who secured improved terms and conditions of employment after campaigning over the summer.
Linda says that special needs assistants are at the lower end of the pay scale within the school community, but believes there will be solidarity amongst all members in the event of an all-out strike. She said: "We learnt a lot of that solidarity during Covid times, when school staff were quite often pitted against parents and vice versa for the closure of schools.
"I've no doubt we’d be equally supportive of each other. When it’s a public service deal it affects all of us, we’re all out on the picket line.” Special needs assistants were previously left frustrated by job uncertainties due to the ‘last in, first out’ policy that was in place earlier this year.
School allocations typically come out in May, leaving recently hired special needs assistants with only a few months’ notice over whether they would be returning to their place of employment. While the policy did not result in a mass loss of jobs, Linda believes that a more constructive way of engaging with staff should be in place. The wait creates undue anxiety for staff, particularly those trying to access a mortgage or plan a family.
She concluded: “It was ridiculous when allocations could’ve been provided at the start of the year. Hopefully that’s the last time we’ll ever see that for SNAs. There has to be a better way to engage with people about their employment.”
READ MORE
Man renting room in Dublin 'couldn't believe' what he saw as hundreds fought over 's**te box room'
Residents living near Dublin Airport blast €20,000 grant to insulate homes as 'not nearly enough'
Irish Cancer Society urgently seeking volunteer drivers in Dublin
Eamon Ryan vows Government will 'keep the lights on' during winter energy crisis
Young Dublin family facing homelessness due to eviction from house of 11 years
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
