Media reports continue to pick up on Fórsa’s industrial action in County Councils across the country, including the email and phone ban in relation to the job evaluation dispute. 

The government is facing calls to implement tax deductions on workers’ trade union membership, and to dispense with a system that has been described as “discriminatory” and favourable to employers over staff. In a pre-budget submission, the Financial Services Union (FSU) has claimed that the “current situation is discriminatory against workers”, because they can’t benefit from tax relief on union membership while businesses can claim full tax relief on subscriptions to business representative groups.

Meanwhile, Minister for Education Norma Foley has pledged to “accelerate” Leaving Cert reform plans with an emphasis on project work and practicals which will be assessed by the State Examinations Commission instead of teachers. In a change to reforms announced last year, today’s updated announcement does not include controversial plans for teacher-based assessment.

Staff at Navan's Department of Social Protection Intreo office are reported to be at breaking point due to severe staff shortages and huge workloads. They have warned that vital services to members of the public, including Exceptional Needs Payments, could suffer unless action is taken immediately. Fórsa has warned that the current situation is unsustainable and that there are tangible health and safety risks, both for the staff working there and for service users attending the office.

And the Government has extended the First Home Scheme to self-builders who are building their first home. The scheme, which was launched just over a year ago, works by providing home-buyers with part of the purchase price in return for a minority equity stake in the home. More on that here.

Zen

As we enter the last few days of September, it is only fitting to bring back the iconic annual anthem announcing the trudge towards October.