Health workers will in future be allowed 20 days bereavement leave on the death of a spouse or child after Fórsa won an important case in the Labour Court. The previous allowance was just five days.

Fórsa, Siptu and INMO unions, representing St Patrick Centre staff in Kilkenny, have sought the intervention of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to assist with ongoing industrial relations difficulties at St Patrick’s Centre and have deferred balloting members for industrial action pending developments.

A long-awaited circular on a facility for the purchase and transfer of retirement benefits for members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme has been released by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER).

The battle for decent work “is a defining battle of our times,” according to Michael D Higgins. Speaking at the five-yearly congress of the European Federation of Public Service Unions earlier this month, the President applauded the role of trade unions in upholding the “hard-won rights of workers across Europe as we continue to face the challenges and obstacles to a fairer society.”

Stronger Together is the official podcast of Fórsa’s Sligo Health and Local Government branch and went live on the Anchor podcasting platform at the end of May. The podcast is presented by Sligo branch members Irene Tiernan and Rodrigo Frade.

Climate change is the biggest challenge facing public services, which will be at the centre of the national and international response to global warming in the coming years, according to Fórsa.