Fórsa issued a statement yesterday indicating intent to advise special needs assistants to co-operate with the phased resumption of in-school services to children with special educational needs, if the department agrees to progress a range of Covid measures that would underpin the safety of students and staff. 

That release received wide coverage in the Irish Times, Indo and Examiner, with the first two articles highlighting the numerous advocacy groups that welcomed the union's announcement as a “significant step in the right direction.” Andy Pike also appeared on RTÉ's Drivetime, which you can listen back to here (from around 1:11:45.) 

The Dáil has been warned that the €81,000 pay increase for the position of Department of Health Secretary General will cause pressure to bring in such hikes elsewhere in the civil service. This news comes after the INMO yesterday called for all private hospital capacity to be fully nationalised into the public healthcare system, to deliver additional beds and staffing over the coming weeks.

Elsewhere, in the Debenhams case, their trade union has said that Government should convert a €3 million fund proposed for training and re-skilling former workers at the department store into cash payments for the personnel involved.

Stephen Kinsella has an interesting piece on the future of unions in The Currency. In it, he talks about the need for workers to harvest associational power, which he defines as agitating for your own interests as a much larger group. He notes the existing disparity between wages and productivity, and highlights Fórsa's efforts to tackle this. The answer lies in technology, according to him. The article is behind a pay wall, so give me a shout if you're interested in reading the full thing.

In some positive Covid-related news, US firm Johnson & Johnson have developed a single-dose vaccine and are expected to apply for EU approval next month.

Meanwhile, in a double-dose of good news, US President-elect, Joe Biden has nominated the former UN ambassador and Irish immigrant, Samantha Power, as his choice to lead the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

And finally, today's zen is brought to you by Pillow Queens. I first learned of the indie-rock band from Dublin after they featured on the Irish Women's in Harmony's rendition of Dreams, last summer (the gift that keeps on giving!) Since then, the group have released their debut album, In Waiting, and recently made their first US television appearance on The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Here's Holy Show. Certainly ones to watch - I can't recommend them enough!