We're glad to see this morning that the government has launched a consultation on flexible working under future jobs in Ireland, and welcome this opportunity to make submission on the four day week.

OceanFM covered Fórsa's recent announcement of further industrial action for school secretaries. Union member and Manorhamilton based school secretary, Frank Considene spoke on their programme and described the Department of Education and Skills’ recent offer of a 1.5% pay increase as an insult. You can listen to that here. 

New legislation to allow workers to engage in political strikes is to be proposed in the Oireachtas this week by Solidarity TDs. The proposal would also restrict the right of employers to secure court injunctions to prevent industrial action taking place. Under the proposed new legislation, it would no longer be necessary for a secret ballot to be held ahead of a strike and balloting would be based on rules of individual trade unions.

In other news, Paschal Donohue has launched a revised public spending code, which aims to ensure a tighter hold is kept on costs of large public capital projects. It replaces the first version of the code, published in 2013 as since then a number of significant overruns on spending on projects, including the National Children's Hospital, have raised questions about whether the guidelines were fit for purpose.

Meanwhile, Leo Varadkar has said Government will offer to end the lower pay system in place for hospital consultants appointed in recent years if they agree to treat only public patients. The Taoiseach claims this would represent the first step towards disentangling the public-private mix in public hospitals, in line with the Sláintecare health reform programme.

Lots of news this morning coming from various world leaders as the French Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe has said controversial pension reforms are necessary to create a fairer system that "will be the same for everyone". This comes on the seventh day of strike action across France over the reforms. He announced that the full retirement age will be increased for the country’s youngest, but offered concessions in an 'ill-fated' effort to calm a nationwide protest that critics say will erode the nation’s way of life.

And finally, we're looking forward to seeing you all this evening at Fórsa's youth committee quiz in aid of TENI. May the best team win!

ZMOTY 2019

Today's Zen moment of the year nomination comes from Róisín McKane.

My personal favourite is this Mr Sandman remix from a digest back in August. Sometimes, in the midst of life’s everyday stresses, you just need to switch your brain off for thirty seconds and enjoy a furry friend giving it paws to a 1950s classic.