Fórsa has criticised a recent Government announcement to improve parental leave provision as the “bare minimum,” which Ireland is obliged to introduce under European law.

Fórsa is insisting that flexitime be reinstated for civil and public servants who have returned to workplaces following the Covid-19 emergency and are now back on their normal hours and work patterns.

Fórsa has given a guarded welcome to yesterday’s announcement of the largest ever Government-funded stimulus package, which will see over €7 billion pumped into the economy – mostly in the short-term – through supports to businesses and incomes.

A survey is underway in the Passport Office to identify what attendance patterns staff prefer in future. Undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the review comes on foot of expectations that shift work will have to continue to facilitate workplace social distancing.

New official guidance has clarified that civil and public servants who return from non-essential overseas travel must take annual leave or unpaid leave to cover the subsequent quarantine period.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has welcomed the Government’s decision to appeal a High Court ruling that effectively abolished official minimum wage levels in sectors like construction.