Fórsa has advised the HSE that union will not cooperate with plans to advance the development of 96 enhanced community care networks (ECCNs) until a clear implementation plan is in place for the health and social care professional (HSCP) career pathway review.

The announcement last week by the European Commission of the significant acceleration of the delivery of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine will see the first doses to be delivered to Ireland next week, which was confirmed in a statement by the Department of Health on Wednesday (21^st April).

Discussions aimed at agreeing an ‘action plan’ for health sector reforms are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. 

New official forecasts predict a strong post-Covid economic bounce in Ireland, with growth of 4.5% per cent this year and 5% in 2022.

Ireland’s national minimum wage could be replaced by a superior ‘living wage’ once the Low Pay Commission produces a report on the issue later this year. A living wage, defined as the minimum necessary for a single full-time worker to meet their basic needs, is currently estimated at €12.30 an hour. That’s 20% more than the current statutory minimum wage of €10.20.

Workers are being reminded about the importance of hand hygiene and surface cleansing in a new Covid-19 campaign from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment’s #WorkSafely. 

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said building more homes won’t solve the housing crisis unless they are affordable.

The issue of period poverty is back in the headlines after supermarket chain Lidl this week announced it is to make period products free in its stores across the country.

Almost 90% of workers aged over 55 believe they suffered age discrimination when looking for jobs. More than a third of respondents to a new survey also said employers considered them too old for sectors such as IT.