Weekend coverage of last week's developments in the public service pay talks included plenty of reasonably balanced commentary. Aside from a couple of outliers (the Mail and another 'rabid' editorial in the Business Post) most of it continued to suggest that a deal can, should, and probably will be done.

Other analysis included this from Cliff Taylor in Saturday's Irish Times, and this from Daniel Murray (with comment from Kevin Callinan) in the Business Post, which also gave OpEd space to the Minister as he set out his stall again. In the Sunday Times, Gary Murphy provides a sort of history lesson on government/trade union pay deals, while Saturday's Irish Times editorial called on the parties to "do a deal - just not at any price."

On Friday afternoon, IALPA members voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay recommendation by the Aer Lingus Pilots' Pay Tribunal, and that's reported by RTE, Business Post and the Irish Times.

Meanwhile, a global survey of 60 economists drawn from the public and private sectors reveals the global economy faces a year of subdued growth prospects and uncertainty stemming from geopolitical strife, tight financing conditions and the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence.

Elsewhere, tributes have been paid to former Siptu president and Dublin city councillor Jimmy Somers, who died on Friday, while the Fórsa colours flew as thousands marched through Dublin on Saturday afternoon in a national demonstration calling for an immediate end to violence in Gaza. 

Finally, I'm expecting a flurry of phone calls from radio researchers today as they look to public service unions to throw a public tantrum over the transport minister's latest announcement on a policy to eliminate parking spaces for public service workers. This one gets floated once or twice a year, and while he sounds like he means it, let's wait and see the details.

Zen

On Saturday I visited Arthur's Blues & Jazz club to see a performance of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme by sax player Michael Buckley with a band led by Ronan Guilfoyle. An incredible night of music, the band opened with a selection of tunes from Coltrane's Giant Steps followed by  A Love Supreme. Our minds were blown, outstanding. 

Have a brilliant week.

Niall