School secretaries in Clare claim they feel “dismissed” by the Department of Education as they join their colleagues nationwide in industrial action today.

It’s the first day of indefinite strike action by school secretaries and caretakers amid a long-running row over access to the public sector pension scheme.

As children and their teachers across the country filed through the school gates this morning after the summer break, secretaries and caretakers remained outside with placards raised.

The Fórsa trade union, which represents school secretaries and caretakers, confirmed yesterday evening that after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission failed to reach a resolution, indefinite industrial action would begin this morning.

The dispute centres around the access that teachers and other Department of Education employees have to public sector pensions and other entitlements; access that isn’t enjoyed by secretaries and caretakers.

Parents dropping their children off at Scariff Central National School this morning could see the words ‘Pension parity now’ written on signs being held aloft by those engaging in the strike action.

School secretary Maureen Kelly says the Department’s failure to address the issue over the summer months makes those affected feel “dismissed”.

Over 2,600 secretaries and caretakers are striking today which is believed to affect more than 2,000 schools.

A protest is also being held at the Department of Public Expenditure building in Dublin.

The Department of Education says it has “made progress in improving the terms and conditions of school secretaries” in recent years.

This, it says, has included “secretaries being placed on the payroll of the department and linked to any increases in pay under public sector agreements, improved annual leave entitlements, improved maternity provisions and paid sick leave in excess of the statutory requirement”.

Fórsa claims the industrial action will continue until talks with the Department of Education begin.

Secretary at Killaloe Boys National School, Carol Oakley, says she’d like to retire from her job knowing she has some security for the future.