Planned increases in the State pension age will cost workers at least €26,000, plus benefits like free travel and the fuel allowance, according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).

The civil service transfer scheme, previously accessed through the Fórsa publication ‘Civil Service Quarterly’ (CSQ), has migrated to the Fórsa website.

Rent increases have pushed the ‘living wage’ up by 40 cent in the last year according to the Living Wage Technical Group, which calculates the minimum full-time earnings needed to support an acceptable standard of living.

Unions are preparing to show leadership in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, which has become more likely, according to Fórsa’s incoming Senior General Secretary Kevin Callinan.

Former President Mary Robinson urged union members to “get angry and take action” over climate change when she addressed the Irish Congress of Trade Unions biennial conference in Dublin last Wednesday (3rd July).

Fórsa vice president Margaret Coughlan has called on unions to take action to improve their gender balance at senior levels.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) says it will campaign for the adoption of a European Union directive on collective bargaining in order to establish a ‘right to bargain’ in Irish law.