Lots of news coming from the teachers' conferences this morning as unions gave Government until the summer break to put teachers back on the vaccine priority list, with the possibility of strike action next term remaining on the table if they don’t get a clear signal of intent well before that. However, the Taoiseach 

said that the decision was "based on science" and indicated Government will not be swayed on the issue.

Meanwhile, the HSE has said that the vaccination of teachers, SNAs and a number of support staff at special schools at the Aviva Stadium this week was "an error", and have apologised for the mistake. Fórsa has called on the Government to clarify how the decision was made. Andy Pike also explained that,  “in special schools, healthcare staff like nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists have all been vaccinated, whilst the SNAs who work alongside them have not.”

Other stories from those conferences include thousands of LGBT teachers “hiding their sexuality” due to fears of discrimination within schools; pledges from the education minister to make further progress on issues with second-level pay and; ASTI seeking access for all to a more generous pension scheme. ASTI have also said there can be no cutbacks introduced by Government when the current Covid-19 pandemic is over.

Elsewhere, workers in RTÉ have voted by 87% against proposals to reduce wages and sick pay and roll out a voluntary redundancy programme. The broadcaster wants to slash wages by between 3.5% and 5.35%, and reduce allowances of those earning more than €40,000 a year.

In aviation, the Examiner reports that decades after privatisations and deregulation from government control, many of Europe’s largest airlines are being forced back into the arms of states by the pandemic.

"I'm a union guy", said US President Joe Biden recently, as he unveiled a $2tn infrastructure renewal plan. This Guardian piece compares the UK's situation with the US and puts a spotlight on British politics to prioritise decent work for a better recovery. Those arguments can also be applied here, which is particularly relevant, as new research from the ESRI found that minimum wage employees in Ireland are likely to be suffering disproportionately from job losses.

And finally, today's Zen covers news of the first flight to take place on another planet. The mini-helicopter, Ingenuity, is currently in place on Mars ready to take its first flight in the coming days, something NASA says is a "major milestone." Here's all you need to know.