Pay recovery across all sectors of the Irish economy is vital if the Government is to achieve its target of full employment by 2018.

IMPACT general secretary, Shay Cody, said that the Government’s objective to achieve full employment two years earlier than originally planned is ambitious. Shay said “Every trade union wishes to see this objective realised, but it can only be achieved by enabling workers to spend more in the domestic economy.

In a recent column in the Irish Independent, chair of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC)  John McGuinness TD, claimed that there are 3,000 middle managers ‘surplus to requirements’ in the HSE, and identified the surplus as the root cause of all the problems in the Irish health service.

IMPACT national secretary Matt Staunton has written to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, outlining the concerns of IMPACT members at Aer Lingus about the consequences of a successful takeover of the airline by International Airlines Group (IAG).

Matt wrote to the minister as speculation continues to mount about the imminent possibility of a third bid for Aer Lingus, following the rejection of two IAG bids for Aer Lingus last month.