Following the focus on working time at our conference last week the Irish Sun invited Fórsa to provide an OpEd on the four day week. Joe O'Connor featured in yesterday's edition. Our new union president also spoke to Northern Sound radio on the same topic, as the station ran a story marking the election of Fórsa's new president: "Michael Smyth from Ballybay has been elected President of the Fórsa trade union".

I was more than a little surprised to discover I had a new twitter follower on Friday (doubling my online following to two), and slightly mystified to discover my new follower was AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham. The mystery was solved, somewhat, when I saw the Irish Times had reported that groups representing gardaí and military officers have voiced “deep concern” at their apparent exclusion from exploratory talks on a new public service pay agreement.

The Journal yesterday published an explainer on why it's taken a pandemic to get sick pay back on the government agenda, and the government  published updated guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace to staff on Friday, while trade unions representing workers in health services have raised their concerns with the HSE about the growing number of staff infected with Covid-19.

Elsewhere, the Irish Times reports that the cost of providing homeless services in Dublin is expected to reach €213 million next year, an increase of more than €150 million since 2014. Meanwhile, it looks as though the Government has seen sense on the 'co-living' model and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien will today issue a de facto ban on new co-living developments, which the Taoiseach has said could become “glorified tenement living”.

Zen

The weekend saw a number of commemorative moments and events marking the centenary of the first Bloody Sunday, which occured on 21st November 1920. If you haven't watched it already I highly recommend the RTE documentary screened last week which is on the RTE Player, and based on Michael Foley's book The Bloodied Field, which brings to life the stories of those who died in and around Croke Park on that day.

The Abbey Theatre also staged 14 Voices From The Bloodied Field, which brought together 14 writers, 14 directors, and 14 actors to tell those same stories, and was free to view online at the weekend. I'm sorry to say it's no longer available, but if the Abbey can be persuaded to make it available again I highly recommend viewing.

A commissioned tribute created by the GAA to commemorate centenary was 'More Than A Game', composed and performed by Colm Mac Con Iomaire, accompanied by singer Lisa Hannigan, and performed at a special commemorative event in Croke Park on Saturday evening.

In a neat piece of sporting symmetry, the four provincial champions to battle it out in the All-Ireland semi finals are the same four counties that competed for a place in the final one hundred years ago. It sets up semi-final ties between Cavan and Dublin, while Tipperary will play Mayo, on the weekend of 5th/6th December. It was a momentous day for Cavan, taking the Ulster title after 23 years, and Tipperary, taking the Munster title after 85 long years.

Your Zen this morning is the interview given by Tipp manager David Power after the game against Cork: "Huge day, 85 years waiting... I'm ready to cry to be honest with you".

Have a good week.

Niall