Beyond the Irish Times pay wall on Saturday Fintan O'Toole's column posed the solution for those looking to change the world: Join a union.

O'Toole concludes: "Young workers...have learned the hard way that a name badge that identifies you as a “partner” or “team member” is of much less use than a union badge that identifies you as part of an organisation that gives you some real power." (I can supply the full text to anyone who can't access it, just drop me a line.)

Related, and in the same paper, David McWilliams performs his usual parlour trick of conjuring a couple of anecdotes into an observable global economic trend. This week he says we should "prepare for the great pendulum swing towards people and wages, away from capital."

The Irish Mirror reported on Saturday from the recent Oireachtas meeting during which SNAs highlighted inappropriate work assigned to them, including laying concrete and cleaning fish tanks.

Elsewhere, SIPTU members in the Galway Rape Crisis Centre (GRCC) are to conduct a 24-hour work stoppage on Wednesday (6th), and DPER published its annual report last Friday, while yesterday's thrilling All Ireland hurling semi-final clash between Galway and Limerick soaks up plenty of coverage too.

Zen for you this morning is some recommended summer reading. Set in the seaside town of Tramore, some-time Fórsa magazine contributor Aingeala Flannery's debut novel The Amusements is an intriguing and satisfying tale of friendship and fate in a small town. The novel, published last week by Penguin, has already been subject to rave reviews.

Whether you're slathered in sun factor on a Mediterranean beach or doused in midge repellent on the Wild Atlantic Way this summer, I promise you that The Amusements will be good company.

Have a great week

Niall