School secretaries from all over Galway will meet next Wednesday to discuss the issue of pay inequalities in the industry.

The meeting is open to all school secretaries, regardless of union membership, throughout Galway.

IMPACT official Johnny Fox urged secretaries to attend the meeting and strengthen their voice, as many are currently not being treated fairly.

"Currently, a two tier system exists where some school secretaries, employed before the implementation of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress (PESP) in 1990, are paid directly by the Department of Education and Science. Those employed after the PESP are paid out of a grant given to the school boards, out of which other school expenses are paid. Consequently, those school secretaries employed post '90 do not enjoy a standardised rate of pay, with some earning barely above the minimum wage," he said.

"Our objective in forming a separate branch and raising the profile of the school secretary is to achieve a standardised rate per hour commensurate with the appropriate public service grade. We are keen to ensure as many school secretaries as possible throughout the country organise to negotiate from a position of strength with the Department and the employers. We are urging them all to join us on 13 February.

"School secretaries play a critical role within the Education System and the crucial work they do to ensure the smooth running of both national and secondary schools needs to be recognised. Many are on very low incomes and a significant number never reach the top of their long incremental scale. There have been instances when school secretaries have been made redundant with no proper re-deployment procedure for them when the next suitable vacancy arises. We hope to see a strong turnout on Wednesday evening, so that school secretaries can strengthen their voice," he said.

IMPACT has been at the forefront of an ongoing campaign to improve the pay, grading and general terms and conditions of employment for school secretaries throughout the country. It says the campaign to take the issue directly to the Government negotiating table has already begun, under the terms of the National Agreement Towards 2016. The union met with officials from the Department of Education and Science in January.

The meeting will take place at the Days Hotel at 7pm on Wednesday 13 February.

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