Fórsa members at Oberstown to escalate strike action

Fórsa union members at the Oberstown Children Detention Campus in Dublin are escalating their industrial action with a 12-hour strike on Tuesday and a 48-hour strike from August 31. This action, the fourth in a series of weekly work stoppages, stems from a dispute over resourcing and staffing levels.

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This industrial action is taking place to highlight the issue of safe staffing at Oberstown.

Deirdre O'Connell, Fórsa Assistant General Secretary, stated that the industrial action is necessary to achieve a lasting solution for the safety of both residents and staff. "This industrial action is taking place to highlight the issue of safe staffing at Oberstown," she said. "These are social care workers working in an environment with a wide variety of needs, with an absolute focus on the safety of the young people in their care."

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These are social care workers working in an environment with a wide variety of needs, with an absolute focus on the safety of the young people in their care.

Fórsa has indicated its availability for "meaningful, solution-focused engagement" with Oberstown management. However, Oberstown released a statement expressing extreme concern, warning that the escalation would create "a direct and unacceptable risk to the safety, security and wellbeing of staff, young people and all those on campus." The center also stated that "Children should not be used, directly or indirectly, as a means of escalating an industrial dispute."

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Fórsa said it advised Oberstown management that it remains available for "meaningful, solution-focused engagement".

Oberstown management highlighted efforts to strengthen staffing over the past year, including the recruitment of 23 frontline staff, and noted a 29% reduction in campus incidents. They urged Fórsa to reconsider the escalation and manage industrial action in a way that protects the welfare of young people and staff, reiterating their readiness for constructive engagement.

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Oberstown said the escalation would create "a direct and unacceptable risk to the safety, security and wellbeing of staff, young people and all those on campus".