The Sindo reported yesterday that unions at Aer Lingus have lodged a claim for a 15% pay increase for staff worth up to €60m, while SIPTU issued a statement on Friday to say that CE supervisors will  present a letter to TDs at noon tomorrow demanding they put pressure on Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, to reconvene the Community Sector High-Level Forum.

The Sunday Business Post yesterday reported that the Dublin City Manager wants to cut down all the city's trees, and that Irish Water crews were attacked when they were replacing lead water pipes in Galway. The same paper reports that the Government will have to legislate for the next increase to the minimum wage and reported on the campaign to prevent an increase in the age at which people receive the state pension. A couple of longer pieces on the health service and tax avoidance by the super-rich are available upon request.

The Irish Times reports today that the first tenant to be evicted by Dublin City Council for not paying rent is due to lose their home this month, as rent arrears hit almost €33 million across the council’s properties. The paper reports that more than half the council’s 24,400 tenants are behind on their rent, with 20 per cent more than six months in arrears. The IT also looks at the situation facing more than 20,000 Irish mortgage holders, who are facing the prospect of carrying non-performing mortgage debt into retirement, according to figures from the Central Bank.

Elsewhere, a civil engineer with more than 20 years' experience says she was told she was unsuitable for a job on a big Dublin construction project because she is not a man. Discrimination in employment on the basis of gender is illegal under the Employment Equality Acts.

I'd like to draw your attention to a new blog post by our Head of Education Andy Pike which is now up on the Fórsa website. Andy and a number of Fórsa activists joined a delegation visiting the occupied Palestinian territories in recent weeks, looking specifically at the challenges faced by Palestinian schools and the children who attend them. It's a compelling account of their visit and I'd urge you all to have a read: Occupied, a warm welcome in hostile territories.

Your Zen this morning is prompted by last night's BBC documentary about Gene Clark of The Byrds. He played out with I Shall Be Released, and other great versions of the tune exist, but my favourite version is Nina Simone's.

Have a good week.