I was more than a little surprised to see Marc Coleman's 2008 talking points on public sector pay resurrected in yesterday's Sindo by...erm...Marc Coleman. Watch this space from now on, because attempts at manufactured resentment - to generate a wedge between public and private sector workers - is likely to come into play before pay talks resume.
The Business Post had another front page scoop on a significant HSE overspend on PPE. The paper's editorial comments.
Both The Guardian and the Irish Times provide substantial coverage of leaked documents revealing the scale of ride-share tech-giant (and one time global leader in bogus self-employment) Uber's taste for flouting laws, duping police, exploiting violence against drivers and secretly lobbying governments during an aggressive global expansion.
Elsewhere, it was widely reported that more than 7,000 people took to the streets of Navan on Saturday to protest against the HSE proposal to close the emergency department of Our Lady’s hospital.
The Irish Times' Cantillon column on Saturday was critical of the Government's delay in revising the Remote Working Bill. The column drew this ominous conclusion: "But with people continuing to file back into workplaces across the country and new, post-Covid rhythms being established, the question now is whether the moment has been lost. Perhaps that was the idea."
RTE's Work and Technology correspondent Brian O'Donovan meanwhile, has this 'story so far' analysis of the legislation. O'Donovan concludes: "...the Government faces a challenge of a different kind, passing legislation that maintains a working model that has become so important to so many. The real test of the new law will come when the first refusals are issued by employers and the first appeals are lodged by employees."
Fórsa Bulletins
The latest editions of the Fórsa news bulletins were published on Friday (8th July), you can find them here:
Zen
With a slightly heavy (Dubs) heart, my Zen offering today tips its hat to Kerry and Galway who made it through to the 135th All-Ireland football finals over the weekend. I hope our colleague Seán McElhinney isn't too crestfallen today, and that the streets of Dungiven can again one day be filled with song as he reported to me last Friday.
For my own part, I'll console myself for now with the memory of the Blue Panther himself, the late Anton O'Toole, and his two visits to Synge Street CBS, in 1976 and 1983, to hold aloft the Sam Maguire to the cheers of me and my classmates. Ahead of yesterday's thrilling clash between Dublin and Kerry, my attention was drawn to Keith Duggan's excellent piece about the rivalry between the two counties. I can't recommend it enough.
Have a great week.
Niall
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