School secretaries in Waterford and across the country have held a one-hour work stoppage in a row over pay.
Trade Union Fórsa said most school secretaries are very poorly paid, with uncertain short-term contracts that force many of them to sign on during the summer holidays.
Most earn just €12,500 a year.
The 10% of school secretaries directly employed by the Department of Education enjoy public servant status, along with higher pay rates, permanent contracts and pension entitlements.
Holy Cross NS in Tramore, Scoil Naisiúnta na Rinne, St John's Special School, De La Salle, St Declan's NS, Our Lady of Mercy and the Presentation were among the Waterford schools to protest.
Bernadette Bennett is from Newtown Secondary School
"The work stoppage is initially to bring awareness of our campaign to the general public.
"We don't want to affect the school running as such, so classes won't be affected, the students won't be affected in any way or the teachers.
We don't want to disrupt the running of the school for the first hour.
"It's really to bring awareness of our campaign."
Waterford Fianna Fail Councillor Eddie Mulligan joined secretaries and their colleagues at the gates of the school this morning.
He told WLR News that it's "an unacceptable situation where we have secretaries in various schools on different terms of employment and conditions".
"It's inequality at its worst.
"I'm very much about fairness, equality and parity.
For me, it's the place to be, to support secretaries and show yes, equality has to be delivered.
#SupportOurSecretaries https://t.co/29LzjWG0Gh
— Fórsa trade union (@forsa_union_ie) September 20, 2019
Waterford Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane has shown his support for the workers.
"Our schools cannot function without them. Our education system needs them. That cannot be disputed.
"That is why their claim is justified; to be employed as public servants, with the same contractual security as their colleagues.
"The Department of Education has failed to seriously engage with school staff or their union representatives to resolve this issue.
"Minister Joe McHugh was made aware of their job insecurity and this two-tier pay structure in May and has dragged his heels in reaching an agreement.
"The Minister will claim that specific responsibility for the pay and conditions of these workers rests with schools through the capitation grants they receive, and not his Department.
"As the Government knows well, schools rely on the capitation grant to cover running costs such as heating, lighting, insurance costs and teaching materials.
"It is unacceptable to force schools to choose between secure pay and conditions for their secretaries or the heating and lighting of their classrooms.
"They have low pay, no holiday pay, no sick pay, no real job security, certainly no occupational pensions, and no access to public service salary scales.
"The public service should be a leader in providing fair pay and conditions for employees, but school secretaries have fallen through the cracks."
De La Salle Waterford & St Declan's NS secretaries are joined by Cllr Eddie Mulligan
