School secretaries have held a rally in Waterford this morning.
It's part of strike action calling for pay fairness.
School secretaries are taking part in their first ever national strike today.
The dispute centres around the two-tier pay system that sees most school secretaries earning just €12,500 a year, with irregular, short-term contracts that force them to sign on during the summer holidays and other school breaks.
Talks at the WRC concluded last December with the offer of 1.5% put forward by the Department described as insulting.
Secretaries from Waterford and the wider region gathered at the People's Park this morning. Rallies will also be held at lunchtime in Dublin, Donegal and Westmeath.
Today's strike will be followed by a resumption of work to rule which will see secretaries withdraw from work on public service systems and databases.
They will also refuse to carry out the functions of public servants saying it's because they have repeatedly been refused public service pay and conditions over the last four decades.}
