The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has accused Bord na Mona management of having no interest in finding new roles for workers set to lose their jobs. ICTU’s Patricia King is sceptical about the company’s commitment to retraining initiatives to help workers find jobs and create more jobs in the area.

Business Minister Heather Humphreys hosted the Countess Markievicz Conference: Celebrating Women Leaders in Ireland yesterday. The theme of the conference was leadership by Irish women – past, present and future, and the discussion revolved around ‘Women Leading in Politics and Public Life.’

Health and Social Service workers in Northern Ireland are set to take industrial action amid concerns about staffing numbers and pay disputes. The action by Unison members, which represents 25,000 nurses, ambulance staff, support staff and social care workers, comes amid a dispute over pay and staffing levels.

SIPTU members in Virgin Media Ireland are also set to ballot for industrial action, following the company’s announcement that it intends to make up to 65 workers redundant and failure to implement a Labour Court recommendation concerning pay and numerous breaches of a collective agreement.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan’s request that Fine Gael by-election candidate Verona Murphy be allowed to visit a refugee centre amid racism claims has been branded a ‘grossly inappropriate use of ministerial office’. Under fire for her comments last Friday, the Wexford by-election hopeful stated that the visit helped her gain “enormous insights”.

Overseas, an escalation of tensions in Zimbabwe has seen hundreds of police and opposition supporters clash on the streets outside the Harare headquarters, where leader Nelson Chamisa was set to give a speech. The police used batons, tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, with members of the press and innocent passers-by’s also being caught up in the violence and minor injuries being reported. 

Finally, your Zen this morning is the most heartwarming story of dog owners describing their dogs to a blind man who wished to picture them, in a facebook post that garnered over 2000 comments.