Fórsa trade union has written to the Department of Education and Skills seeking to open discussions on a new agreement on school secretaries’ and caretakers’ pay.

Fórsa has called on the Government to protect the incomes of public servants who reached the compulsory retirement age of 65 before the end of last year, but then stayed in work on a 12-month temporary arrangement because the state pension age had been changed from 65 to 66.

A shortfall in funding is putting Ireland’s higher education “in danger,” according to Thomas Estermann, the director of governance and funding at the European Universities Association (IUA).

Fórsa women activists from around the country took part in INSPIRE training at the end of last month. This was the third year the union ran the training, which aims to inspire and empower female activists.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has called on the Irish Government to establish a ‘Brexit adjustment fund’ to protect vulnerable groups of workers and industries in the case of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit. This followed Enterprise Ireland’s prediction that, if it happens, 25,000 workers would be directly affected by such a shock.