The Irish Times reports this morning that graduation ceremonies for thousands of students could face disruption as a result of industrial action being taken by Fórsa members in institutes of technology across the country. 

Over the weekend hundreds of thousands took to the streets of London to demand a second referendum on Brexit. It's been reported as the biggest outpouring of public opposition to government policy since the anti-Iraq war protest in 2003 (while an encouraging comparison in terms of numbers, not at all encouraging in terms of outcomes). 

On the subject of Brexit, I'd encourage you to have a look at Bernard Harbor's feature item on the role of the unions in campaigning for a second referendum (featuring a couple of Donal Casey's classic Brexit cartoons). It's in the new edition of Fórsa magazine which is now in circulation. You can also read it here.

Today our Congress colleague Owen Reidy writes in the Irish Times: Workers must not pay: A trade unionist's guide to negotiating on Brexit. He opens with the observation that "you would not be wise to proceed with a strike if the vote in favour was only 52%."

The Indo reports that Aer Lingus has withdrawn a threat to stop recognising Siptu staff representatives and that the airline has "apologised to the "majority" of well-behaved staff."

In the Sindo yesterday, 'Tusla is mired in failure yet allowed to go unchallenged'  was a lengthy rage against the agency on foot of criticism in the Charleton report.

Meanwhile, the Irish Examiner reports on the planned salary for the new chairperson of the HSE, the Oireachtas is to set up a helpline for employees and political party staff to deal with bullying or sexual harassment in Leinster House, a review team commissioned by the HSE to determine if staff should face disciplinary action over the cervical screening controversy will be permitted to interview and seek clinical advice, and bursaries for trainee teachers in subjects where there is an undersupply are being examined as part of a package of measures to tackle a “crisis” in classroom staff shortages. 

Elsewhere, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul's Saudi consulate has global implications that aren't yet fully understood, while the US (with UK backing) is set to leave an arms control treaty with Russia dating from the cold war that has kept nuclear missiles out of Europe for three decades.

And it's only Monday.

On the plus side, the surviving Beastie Boys have resurfaced to cheer us all up with a memoir about the band. Sabotage remains a personal favourite, never more so than when the world appears to be going a bit nuts.