The Indo reported this morning that Dublin City Council staff have been told to return to the office full-time next month before they will be given the option of blended working. Dessie Robinson is quoted in the same piece, responding to this news and highlighting the union's concerns. 

Ronan Glynn has resigned as deputy chief medical officer amid claims from colleagues that pressures facing senior civil servants in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic are contributing to a public service brain drain. He will quit the Department of Health at the end of the month to take up a senior advisory role with consultancy firm EY.

An expert in intellectual property law is set to tell TDs this morning that a proposed vaccine patent waiver would help lower- and middle-income countries access Covid-19 vaccines while still allowing Ireland to maintain IP protections. The waiver, known as the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver has received support from international and domestic unions, including Fórsa, on several occasions. 

The Irish Medical Organisation has commenced a ballot of non-consultant hospital doctors for industrial action up to and including strike action. They launched the ballot for industrial action in response to research it carried out on alleged contract breaches which the organisation claims “have consequences for patient safety”.

A sales executive has been awarded over €329,000 for unfair dismissal after being sacked without a formal warning over bullying allegations. The award, made on Tuesday, is understood to be the largest ever made by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) , and more than double the previous record award.

Over in New Zealand, a new law currently going through parliament aims to make bad jobs better. The Fair pay Bill aims to set floor for conditions across whole sectors or areas of occupation, with the country's Labour government saying it believes part of the problem is that employers in some sectors have ended up in a “race to the bottom”, and are competing by cutting labour costs rather than improving quality or technology.

 
Meanwhile, the first 10 countries have qualified for the Grand Final of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest after last night’s semi-final. Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra are favourites to win the final with their song Stefania – a mix of Ukrainian folk music with hip hop which was written as a tribute to the frontman’s mother.

For the week that’s in it, check out political commentator Johnny Fallon’s analysis of the political relevance of the song contest in the midst of the war in Ukraine.

And finally, our May 2022 conference, which is the first such in-person event since the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, will see around 700 delegates, executive members, staff and others get together in Killarney in exactly a week from today. See you all there!