News of the sudden closure of the Mount Carmel private maternity hospital came as a severe blow to its 300 staff, more than 80 of whom are IMPACT members.

New unified pay scales, which end the two-tier public service pay system introduced in 2011, will be effective from November 2013. An official circular, issued last week, confirms that new pay scales for staff who entered the public service after January 2011 will be backdated to last November.

Around 4,000 staff have transferred to the new Child and Family Agency, which was officially launched last week. The new state body, which has a budget of €600 million and a national network of over 100 community-based family resource centres, marks a turning point in child protection, according to IMPACT official Christina Carney.

ESRI economist John Fitzgerald’s claims – that more than 2,000 local authority water staff were surplus to requirements – proved to be completely wrong last week. The economist claimed on Monday that just 1,700 staff were needed to deliver Irish water services, but that over 4,300 would remain in place until 2026. He claimed this would cost taxpayers up to €2 billion.

Workers at the giant Dutch flower auctioneers FloraHolland are holding a 24-hour ‘warning strike’ today (Friday). And they’re seeking your help in the run-up to this Valentine’s day, the most lucrative day of the year for the flower trade.