Brexit is heavily dominating headlines this morning with most of the paper's carrying stories on their front pages. EU and UK negotiators have agreed a text that deals with the Irish border late last night. RTE reports that the text was agreed at around 9pm last night and then transmitted to Downing Street. While two well-placed sources have confirmed that the text was "as stable as it can be", they say it would not be correct to say that the negotiations have "concluded". Theresa May is taking the agreement to her cabinet later today however the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson has warned that the draft deal ‘may break up UK’.
RTE’s Drivetime programme highlighted the precarious nature of work for most school secretaries. It follows a similar report by the programme in December 2017. Journalist Barry Lenihan outlined the problems facing 90% of the country’s 3,500 school secretaries, whose terms and conditions of employment are determined by individual boards of management. Our own Joe O’Connor spoke on the programme about the union’s school secretary campaign, which is due to launch in January, when negotiations are due to commence under the current adjudication agreement.
Yesterday, the INTO met with senior officials at the Department of Education and Skills. During the meeting, INTO formally notified senior officials of the result of their recent ballot on the proposed ‘new entrant’ agreement during which members voted 53% to 47% against the proposal. The department was also informed that INTO was engaged in a month long consultation with members in the lead up to a ballot on industrial action.
The work permits system is in need of reform as it creates “indentured servitude” by tying some non-EU workers to their employees, that's according to The Examiner this morning. This comes following an Oireachtas business committee hearing into the skills needs for businesses and workers in the future. Labour senator Kevin Humphreys, who was speaking at the hearing said it is currently like indentured servitude — where historically, poor workers had to ‘earn’ their freedom from employers — because some workers from outside the EU were relying on retaining their job to keep their visas.
The Echo reports that a dispute between ambulance crews and the HSE is exposing the problems faced by the service.The Psychiatric Nurses Association says five ambulances had to stay off the roads in the south-east last night because the HSE didn't have stand-by staff.The PNA's 500 members in the service are on an overtime ban, because of a union recognition dispute.
Our Zen this morning is brought to you by George Michael. On this day in 1987, he went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut solo album 'Faith'. If this doesn't get you geared up for a Brexit filled Wednesday then I don't know what will.
Have a good day
Roisin
