In yesterday's Sunday Business Post, Tom Healy of the Nevin Economic Research Institute spoke to Daniel Murray about the challenges facing trade unions as a consequence of declining density and the rise of the gig economy. You can read it here.

The Irish Examiner reported on Friday (picked up in many regional titles also) that there were 24,500 people earning less than the minimum wage at the end of last year, according to the CSO. There were 1,679,600 earning more than the minimum wage, a 5.2% (83,400) increase from 2017.

Conor Pope writes today that some firms use ‘health and safety’ concerns "as an excuse to get out of doing things," while Tusla inspections of residential centres for young people in State care run by private contractors, found 27 out of 46 centres reviewed in 2017 did not meet required staffing standards. 

Elsewhere, hospital doctors and consultants are threatening to ballot for industrial action, while UCC Economist and Chair of the Fiscal Advisory Council, Seamus Coffey says political decisions have to be made on public sector pay demands, while Cork is to host a parade on Saturday to highlight the poor pay and conditions being endured by members of the Defence Forces.

Meanwhile, pay at the top of the corporate ladder continues to thrive, and was the subject of comment in the Sunday Business Post editorial yesterday. Ibec launched its campaign this morning calling on businesses to play an active part in promoting the importance of the upcoming European parliament elections. The Labour Party has announced it's achieved a 41 per cent female gender quota for the European and local elections next month.

Your Zen this morning is for those of you whose heads are fizzing every Sunday night with the twists and turns of Jed Mercurio's fifth season of Line of Duty. The current season (no spoilers please, I'm only up to episode three myself) features Stephen Graham as this season's main antagonist. Graham (pictured right above) is a particularly gifted character actor and a joy to watch.

Here's a round up of season five so far (click on the image above). For those of you who haven't yet been embedded as a UCO with AC12 yet, and who don't know who the 'Caddy' is, seasons 1-4 (featuring a range of OCGs and other regular acronyms) is available on Netflix.

Bonus Zen this morning is a recommendation to go and see Jessie Buckley in Wild Rose. The Killarney actor puts in a stellar performance as the working class Glasgow girl determined to get to Nashville. Still in cinemas and well worth the trip.