Special needs assistants (SNAs) taking unofficial industrial action in support of striking school secretaries and caretakers affected a number of schools on Monday.
Public service trade union Fórsa said it was aware of two schools on Dublin’s northside where unofficial action by SNAs had affected class provision for some students.
It was unclear how widespread the problem was, but Fórsa said its understanding was no school had failed to open on Monday.
Two special schools had been unable to fully open on Friday due to the indefinite industrial action over access to the public-service pension scheme.
However, they did open after Fórsa reissued advice to its 15,000 SNA members that they should report for work as normal.
Fórsa and various teachers’ unions have suggested significant disruption would be inevitable should administrative and maintenance issues mount if the strike by more than 2,300 school secretaries at primary and secondary schools and 500 caretakers continued.
Fórsa’s Andy Pike said it “would continue until our members tell us they want [it] to end, but all of the indications are they are up for this and determined to see it through”.
It is understood that SNAs had declined to cross the picket line in solidarity with colleagues at Saplings special school, Co Carlow, and Scoil Mochua special school in Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on Thursday and Friday, affecting services at both schools.
The Co Carlow school did not open at all on Thursday or Friday. Only some classes could be accommodated at the west Dublin school.
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Johanna Joy, an SNA at Saplings special school, said: “Our school secretary is worth her weight in gold. I don’t think people realise how important secretaries are.
“They are the backbone of the school and keep the school running. She is our go-to person. Given all the support she gives us, how could we not give it to her when she needs it?
“How could we walk past her on the picket line? It would be awful. You have to support those who support you.”
On Monday, an SNA at St Catherine’s Senior School in Cabra, Dublin, told RTÉ Radio’s Liveline how she and about 15 colleagues had met and resolved not to pass pickets at the school. Some classes, she said, had to be cancelled as a result.
In a statement, Fórsa said it was “aware that there are SNAs in a couple of schools in north Dublin who do not wish to pass the picket lines”.
“Fórsa recognises their actions are driven by their genuine support for their school secretary and caretaker colleagues. The union has nevertheless continued to advise SNAs to continue to attend for work.”
The secretaries’ and caretakers’ strike, which had been flagged since early summer, started on Thursday after last-minute talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) failed to resolve the dispute in relation to secretaries and caretakers’ exclusion from the public-service pension scheme.
While many teachers, and their unions, have been supportive, SNAs are understood to be especially so, in part because they only secured full public service status in recent years.
The Department of Education said it would continue to engage with all parties in the coming days including the WRC. It said it was “a challenging time for schools”, but it appreciated “their work to minimise disruption for staff, students, and families”.
“Special needs assistants have not been balloted for industrial action and are not included in this action,” the department said. “Should this issue arise again the department will engage with the school and with Fórsa.”
