Talks on the assimilation of school secretaries onto improved pay scales are continuing, following the education department’s milestone concession that they should all be placed on the public service clerical officer scale.

Fórsa has welcomed last week’s Government announcement that asymptomatic students in special education settings won’t be part of the broader relaxation of contact tracing for primary school students. 

Childcare is an essential public service that should be properly funded by the State, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said.

Talks on a long-term framework for ‘blended working’ in the civil service got underway last Friday (24th September) and intensified this week.

The independent body established to make recommendations on the implementation of a Government commitment to resolve the issue of the so-called ‘Haddington Road hours’ resumed work this month, following the summer break.

The National Women’s Council (NWC) has called on the Government to invest in vital public services and social infrastructure in Budget 2022, including publicly-provided childcare.

The living wage has reached €12.90 an hour, well above the official statutory minimum wage of €10.20. That’s because rent increases, transport and energy costs have pushed the measure up by 60 cent in the last year, according to the Living Wage Technical Group.