Good morning

The Irish Times and the Examiner have coverage of Fórsa's appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education, during which representitives expressed concern over the treatment of non-teaching staff in schools. Head of education Andy Pike said the lack of public service status for the vast majority of school secretaries and caretakers was resulting in "low pay, precarious insecure employment, lack of pension provision, lack of sick pay and no holiday pay."

 

The Irish Independent has a story on the Government Bill that would compel firms to report on their gender pay gaps, and the requirement to explain what measures firms will take to eliminate their pay gap, which quotes Fórsa official Geraldine O’Brien. She welcomed provisions in the Act that require data to be disclosed by pay band and job classification. You can also find Fórsa's statement here.

 

Siptu has said it would be “premature” to put the proposed new nursing contract to a ballot, following a meeting of its nursing and midwives sector committee on Monday. They said that the Government had “failed to confirm crucial details on a revised contract of employment for the proposed enhanced nursing and midwifery role.”

 

Mandate trade union has written to Debenhams seeking assurances as concerns persist for hundreds of staff employed at 16 Debenhams stores in the Republic and the North. Debenhams has said it is trading as normal, despite its UK holding company going into administration.

 

A report into the overspend on the National Children's Hospital has warned that the final cost of the project could exceed €1.7bn. RTÉ reports that the PWC review found failings around planning and budgeting on the project, and that elements of the design still have to be quoted and costed.

 

Finally, today's zen comes from the beatles, who formally broke up on this day in 1970. It was also reported yesterday that an 11-second clip of the Beatles' only live appearance on the Top of the Pops, which was thought to have been be lost, has been unearthed in Mexico.

 

Have a good day folks.  

 

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