Athlone Deputy Mayor, Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, has expressed his deep concern with regard to the treatment of school secretaries and caretakers.
"I have spoken to my colleagues at government level to express my deep concern and unease at a situation that in my mind is wholly unfair.
"We have a situation where the secretaries and caretakers in our mainstream schools are not receiving the recognition or the pay and conditions which they were promised by government some time ago.
"Secretaries and caretakers, represented by Forsa Trade Union, and the government are in a dispute centred around a commitment given by ministers that an agreement to improve conditions and pay would be honoured in advance of the approaching new school term, commencing in late August and early September.
"Secretaries and caretakers are crucial to the running of any school, yet their average pay is a paltry €12,500. Many secretaries and caretakers are forced to sign-on during all school holidays, while all other staff enjoy full pay and conditions, including pension and sick pay. This unhealthy two-tier system is not only unfair, it is bordering on discrimination.
"To add insult to injury, secretaries and caretakers employed in ETB administered schools carry out exactly the same work and are paid and treated as public servants in fully pensionable employment.
"I feel very strongly in fairness and equity in the workplace but as things stand secretaries and caretakers are not being treated fairly and this needs to change.
The government can and must resolve this dispute by honouring the terms of the earlier agreement to regularise pay, conditions and pensions and I will continue to press my colleagues on this issue," Cllr O'Rourke asserted.
