School secretaries and caretakers are beginning indefinite strike action.

Around 2,600 Forsa members are involved in the industrial action, which will see picket lines outside schools from next week.

Union members want school secretaries and caretakers to be given public service pensions and 'other basic entitlements' that are provided to other public servants', such as better employment contracts, and improvements to sick leave and bereavement leave.

Talks between union representatives, and officials from the Department of Education, failed to reach a resolution at the Workplace Relations Commission on Wednesday.

An empty classroom, Alamy

Forsa Assistant General Secretary, Shane Lambert, says caretakers and secretaries are taking strike action as a last resort.

"Our members would much rather be in schools [today] doing what it is they should be doing.

"But they've tolerated an injustice for decades that has seen them treated less favorably than colleagues, despite performing an equally valuable service in the school community, and that just can't be sustained anymore".

A national rally is taking place in Dublin city centre on Thursday morning.

Forsa has organised buses in various locations around the country, to take people to the demonstration outside the Department of Public Expenditure on Merrion Square which starts at 11 am.

The union says rallies and protests will also take place on Friday, as well as Monday and Tuesday next week, and are planned to continue until they meet Department of Education officials again.

For the duration of the strike, Forsa has told Special Needs Assistants not to carry out any duties that secretaries or caretakers would usually be responsible for, including opening and closing buildings and any tasks related to the secretary’s office.

Teachers' unions have also been asked to instruct their members not to take on any additional duties while their secretary and caretaker colleagues are on strike.