Good morning all, 

Final preparations are underway as we kick off #Fórsa2022 in just a few hours. Today marks our first in-person national conference since 2018. We look forward to hearing our president’s address when we begin the conference at 7pm this evening. Here’s what we’ve got lined up over the next few days. 

Our head of communications, Bernard Harbor, will also be on Radio Kerry at 9.45am doing a conference preview, and you can tune in here. 
 
Pay is the big issue on the agenda this week as our first big conference debate on the same matter takes the number one spot on the agenda in our series of motions on Thursday. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ private sector committee also met yesterday to discuss the cost of living crisis for its members.

The Fórsa charity conference cycle delegation arrives at the conference centre between 3-3.30 pm today. Everyone is welcome to show their support and join us in welcoming them as they arrive. The team departed at 8.30am from the South Court Hotel in Limerick this morning and the peloton will arrive in Killarney in time for registration. Organised by Fórsa’s head of health Éamonn Donnelly and head of local government Dessie Robinson, the cycle raises much needed funds for small charities based in communities throughout the country.

The Union will also be holding a charity raffle for the Irish Hospice, with several exciting prizes if you’d like to enter the draw. All funds raised in the raffle will go to the Irish Hospice foundation. This fundraiser is a continuation of the Fórsa 4 peaks challenge which took place in August 2021. You can take part in the raffle here.

In regular news RTÉ picked up on the union’s conference starting today, the Times reports this morning that employers could have fewer grounds to refuse requests for remote working under changes being considered for a draft law being developed by the Government, medical scientists are due to take industrial action over staff shortages and a pay dispute for the first time today, and the Journal reports working remotely could save the average person up to €304 per year according to new research.

We’re counting down the hours to when we see all of our delegates (old and new) for an enjoyable conference experience this week!