Rock bottom
by Hazel Gavigan

Fórsa will ballot Stobart Air cabin crew for industrial action in a dispute over union recognition rights and failure to negotiate on staff pay and working conditions. A recent pay proposal at the airline "fell short of recent airline industry norms", and was rejected by a majority of cabin crew eligible to vote. Fórsa's Ashley Connolly maintained that Stobart cabin crew were annoyed at the company’s refusal to deal with the union and said "management’s refusal to do business in the usual way has left its staff feeling they have no choice but to consider industrial action." 

 

In other airline industrial news, Ryanair said its pilots based in Portugal have voted for a labour agreement for the next four years - while the company has just earned the dubious accolade of joining Europe’s top 10 carbon emitters, according to statistics released by Emissions Trading System.

 

Ambulance workers will hold a fifth day of industrial action at stations across the country today as members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association strike from 7am until 5pm continuing their call for the right of personnel to be represented by a union of their choice.

 

Some good news this morning: The national living wage will increase to £8.21 an hour for workers over the age of 25 in Northern Ireland; Cleaners, caterers, porters and security staff at Liverpool Women's Hospital have won a fight for pay rises after striking; Ireland is the most generous country in the world in terms of contributions to GoFundMe causes; And electric cars outsold fossil fuel-powered ones in Norway last month.

 

Today is World Autism Awareness day. Later this evening, Sinn Féin will submit a Private Member’s Bill to establish an All-Party Oireachtas Committee on Autism.

 

Finally, today's Zen is a round-up of some of the best April Fool's stories seen in the media yesterday - one of my favourites was the Dublin Fire brigade's new Gucci helmets. On tv show This Morning, presenter Holly Willoughby was shocked to tears as she fell for a prank pulled off by her co-host Phillip Schofield. 

 

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