Fears that pay restoration agreed under the new Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) would be delayed by an early general election were allayed last week. The Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill, which enables the implementation of PSSA pay adjustments including a 1% increase from 1^st January, passed its second stage after the political crisis over former Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald abated.

IMPACT and other health unions have criticised the Government’s failure to allocate funds for a planned expansion of primary health care services. In a submission to the Oireachtas health committee, the unions warmly welcomed the initiative, but said it would fail unless a dedicated capital programme and adequate staffing – including almost 1,300 additional health and social care professionals – were funded.

Precarious work has now spread across the economy, and the Government needs to act to bolster job security and decent pay, according to a new report from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Insecure and Uncertain: Precarious Work in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which was published yesterday (Monday), reveals that 8% of the Republic’s workforce – or 158,190 people – see significant variations in their weekly or monthly working hours, while 7% of workers are in temporary employment, often because they can’t find permanent work.

The civil service is struggling to recruit staff because salaries are not keeping up with those available in alternative private sector jobs, according to IMPACT. In a submission to the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC), which is examining recruitment and retention problems in parts of the public service, the union identified a range of grades where it is now difficult to hire. They include cleaners, solicitors, meteorologists, radio officers, technical agricultural officers, valuers, Oireachtas researchers, translation staff, and special education needs organisers.

The Irish Government must be prepared to veto the start of EU-UK post-Brexit trade talks at this month’s crunch European Council meeting if adequate progress on Irish border issues has not been achieved, according to IMPACT. The call was made at a major Brexit conference organised by IMPACT and Siptu last month, just as the border issue moved centre-stage in the debate over Britain’s future relationship with the EU.

IMPACT’s Health and Welfare division has launched a campaign to defend the ‘hidden heroes’ of our health services. The idea is to educate and inform the public about the vital behind-the-scenes contributions of staff, in a culture where so-called ‘front-line’ workers get most of the attention and acknowledgement.