In a break with tradition, we’re bringing you a single news round-up in this issue of the publication, as a supplement to our 5th December local authority bulletin.

Big news as 9,000 local authority staff are set to benefit from new promotional pathways following the overwhelming acceptance of a Fórsa-negotiated deal in a recent ballot. A new approach, which is to replace the ‘common recruitment pool,’ will see 70% of promotions to grades IV, V, VI and VII confined to eligible staff in the local authority sector in future.

Pay is also back in the news as council workers look forward to the January pay adjustment under the Public Service Stability Agreement.

It comes as the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) publishes its fourth report on chief executives’ pay, which reveals increases of between 9% and a staggering 99%. The average for the rest of us was less than 3% this year.

There’s exciting international news too, as a new survey reveals over 1,400 examples of privatised services being brought back into public control in over 58 countries across the globe. There are many examples from local authorities, water services and waste.

This chimes with Fórsa’s efforts to bring Dublin city council waste services back into public control this year.

Thanks to all of you who completed the recent survey on workplace harassment, which we reported on in the last issue. ICTU tells us that the response rate from Fórsa members was particularly high.

We can also report a generous response from the union’s members and branches to the Fórsa Youth Network’s annual Christmas quiz, which raised over €3,500 for the Transgender Equality Network Ireland. The union’s National Executive Committee has agreed to match that figure.

Ireland’s growing band of homeless families is also top of mind at this time of year, with well over 10,000 adults and children without a place to call home. ICTU spoke out on our behalf again earlier this month.

We’ll be back with all the news, including more on some of these stories, in the New Year. In the meantime, a very Happy Christmas from all of us in the Fórsa Communications Unit.

PS. Don’t forget that if you want your P60 from January, you now have to access it through Revenue’s online system, called myAccount.