School secretaries and caretakers, who are members of the Fórsa trade union, have voted overwhelmingly to accept proposals on pay, pensions and employment conditions.
Among the measures are the implementation of a Labour Court recommendation on pension lump sums and gratuity payments, improved sick leave arrangements, paid bereavement leave and a new pay structure for school caretakers.
Caretakers will receive backdated pay to March 2026 and move, by March next year, to a pay scale aligned with that applying to Education and Training Board caretakers.
The recommendations follow a dispute which saw around 2,600 school secretaries and caretakers engage in strike action for over a week at the start of the school year last year, impacting around 2,000 schools.
“The result reflects the commitment and solidarity of school secretaries and caretakers throughout a lengthy and challenging process,” said Fórsa Head of Education Andy Pike.
“A 94% vote in favour, on a turnout of more than 88%, is a very strong endorsement of these proposals,” Mr Pike said.
