Oberstown Fórsa members to take part in work stoppage

Members of the Fórsa union at Ireland's Oberstown Children Detention Campus are set to participate in an eight-hour work stoppage on Tuesday, August 11. The industrial action, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is the latest in a series of planned weekly stoppages due to an ongoing dispute concerning resourcing and safe staffing at the facility.

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safe staffing in Oberstown has been a "long-standing concern" for staff, and and that members want a "lasting solution".

This action follows a ballot in May where Fórsa members overwhelmingly supported industrial action. Staff have been engaged in a work-to-rule campaign since June 25, but negotiations between union representatives and campus management have failed to yield an agreement on critical issues. The union expressed frustration over the absence of a Department of Children representative during talks.

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We agree with management that staff safety and the safety of the young people in Oberstown are inseparable.

Hazel Nolan, Fórsa national secretary, emphasized that safe staffing has been a long-standing concern for Oberstown staff, who are seeking a "lasting solution." She stated that while the union agrees with management on the importance of staff and young people's safety, talks have stalled because Oberstown refuses to include key elements of the union's claim in the business case presented to the department. These elements include measures to address recruitment difficulties.

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Unfortunately, talks have broken down because Oberstown is refusing to include key elements of our claim in the business case going to the department. This includes measures to address the recruitment difficulties facing the service.

Management argues these issues should be handled through "local bargaining," but Nolan pointed out that the allocated budget for local bargaining is insufficient to resolve them. "Fórsa cannot enter a process when we know from the outset that it cannot resolve the claim," she said, vowing to continue pursuing a genuine, long-term solution for safe staffing.

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Management says these issues should be dealt with separately through 'local bargaining', while also acknowledging that there is not enough money allocated to the local bargaining budget to resolve them.