Almost a quarter of recent private sector pay deals have been worth more than 3% according to a new survey by the respected journal Industrial Relations News (IRN). But most were worth less than 4%, which is well below the current 6.7% inflation rate.

Public expenditure minister Michael McGrath has told his officials to engage with unions after unions triggered the review clause of the Building Momentum public service agreement. The two sides are expected to meet for an initial engagement next week.

The Government has outlined details of a new auto-enrolment occupational pension scheme targeted at workers who don’t currently have any pension provision other than the State pension.

The professional body for human resource professionals has urged employers to consider whether their staff should continue working from home.

All civil servants will have the right to apply for remote or blended working under a new framework agreed between the Department of Public Expenditure and reform (DPER), Fórsa, and other civil service unions.

It will now become mandatory for all employers to provide sick pay to employees under new laws signed off by the Cabinet last week. The Sick Leave Bill 2022 will introduce a statutory sick pay scheme for all employees phased in over four years.

Tributes to Fórsa activist Jerry King flew in after it was announced on Wednesday (6h April) that the former IMPACT president had passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Some 17 companies across Ireland are currently two months into a six-month trial of four-day week working patterns, in a campaign that’s also won Government funding for research into the economic, social and environmental impacts of reduced working time.