Given the week that’s in it, there will be a lot of opining on women’s stalled/ slow progress in the workplace and a lot of “nothing to see here” counter arguments. To the latter, the gender pay gap is the difference in hourly pay rates not wages. Hope that helps.

Ellen Coyne is a must listen on Inside Politics (19.25 mins in) on this shameful, shortsighted refusal of planning permission. Powerful @ellenmcoyne.bsky.social 👏👏 podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/i...

A new survey from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has found that more than half of workers believe that their pay does not match their skills and effort

Ibec out early with its women’s day greetings: Equal Pay for Equal Work at a Later Date 🫶

“The contraction in hybrid working may reflect significant job losses in the service industries where it is most widely used.” Same with the headline grabbing rise in the number who never work from home. Look at the sectors with job growth👇

Number of people working in tech dropped by almost 13,000 last year. www.independent.ie/business/job...

I’m just spitballing here, maybe this is something to do with the fact that there are half a million more people in employment, compared to Q4 2019 including in jobs that can’t be done remote.

As someone who works on Parnell Square, I struggle to recognise the Dublin Civic Trust’s view of the Square’s “extraordinary landscape”. Give the Rotunda Hospital midwives and premature babies their critical care unit. www.irishtimes.com/health/2026/...

📰 NEW OP-ED ETUC General Secretary @estherlynch.bsky.social sounds the alarm: Europe’s competitiveness debate is being hijacked by corporate lobbyists pushing deregulation. The answer to Europe's real challenges is instead a mission-led economy built on investment and quality jobs. 🧵

I have some words here on the huge growth in employment in the over 65s and the ongoing wait on new legislation to let more workers with contractual retirement ages work for longer.

Irish fathers discover their kids??? No. It’s only 10 years since the State started to support new dads to take time off to care for their babies (now 11 weeks paid leave in baby’s first two years). I’ve some words here on what’s and who is behind our improving division of work & care.

The childcare businesses who didn’t like having the fees they charge parents capped at €295 a week per child, and so they left the public funding scheme so that they can continue charging some of the highest fees in the EU, now don’t want to pay their staff at least €15 an hour.

Looking forward to the follow-up article on price cuts when their 9% VAT rate kicks in on July 1.

Before the first weekend in February became a bank holiday in 2023, it was a long eleven-week slog for workers between New Year’s Day and St Patrick’s Day - Me on the benefits of the St Brigid’s bank holiday. www.rte.ie/news/busines...

c.5,000 employees have already voluntarily enrolled into the new MyFutureFund pension, i.e. employees who fall outside the age (23-60) and income (<€20,000) criteria for automatic enrolment. What’s more, voluntary enrolment is the most common query to the customer helpline. Very, very promising.

I’ll be chatting to @mcculld.bsky.social about the new My Future Fund deduction from your wages, on RTÉ Radio 1 shortly.

Spotted a new deduction from your payslip? It's probably your new pension, here's how it works jrnl.ie/6935136

Today’s lesson: Pension auto-enrolment - who, what, why and how. Me writing for @intonews.bsky.social Available in school staffrooms and on intouch.into.ie

Parents want a guarantee of a quality childcare service at an affordable price and an end to the annual will-they-won’t-they threats of their daycare centre withdrawing from State schemes. Government’s plan for ‘State-led’ childcare only guarantees them more of the same. www.ictu.ie/news/governm...

The annual number of early years services closures has more than halved. 2020 = 197 2021 = 141 Core funding starts in September 2022 2022 = 141 2023 = 115 2024 = 95   Source: Tusla

It’s no coincidence those busily selling occupational pension schemes and PRSAs as an auto-enrolment alternative rarely if ever compare fees and charges. “low charges make My Future Fund a superior option for all but the highest earners.”

State to become a social landlord for the childcare industry.

Headline changed, along with election promise.

In what world is this public/ state-provided childcare???

If you’re one of the 763,000 employees (over a quarter of the workforce) whose first payslips of 2026 show a new MyFutureFund deduction from your wages, chances are you’ll want to know what that’s all about. I’ve an auto-enrolment explainer for employees over on The Journal (link below)

If you are one of the three-quarters of a million employees whose first payslip of 2026 shows a new MyFutureFund deduction from your wages, chances are you’re going to be keen to know more about auto-enrolment. ICTU's Laura Bambrick answers our questions about the new MyFutureFund jrnl.ie/6925666

From today, three-quarters of a million more workers will have access to a workplace pension to save for a more comfortable retirement. www.ictu.ie/news/20-year...

🛍️ As we head into the busiest shopping days of the festive season, don’t be that person! 🧘‍♀️Keep calm and respect retail workers. 🙏 It costs nothing to be nice.

More than 3,400 have already added their voice to the government consultation on your right to request remote working. You can too: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

Minimum Wages: Directive put beyond all doubt by today’s ruling of the Court of Justice. @estherlynch.bsky.social 📢 "this judgment confirms that the Minimum Wage Directive stands firm – the EU can and must act for fair wages."

🙏 Please help a young scientist competition entrant. 📝 If you're a trade union member, take 5 minutes to complete a survey on your pension and retirement expectations. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

📣Calling all union reps & staff Will you be able to answer your members’ questions when the first auto-enrolment contributions are deducted from 800,000 pay packets in January? Fear not! ICTU has you covered. Auto-Enrolment Ask Me Anything. 23rd October. Sign up✍️

Maeve Richardson, Digital Organiser at FSU, who participated with @drbambrick.bsky.social, Social Policy at ICTU, and Bryan O’Mahony, President of USI/Amle, in the @forsatradeunion.bsky.social Youth Conference in @tcddublin.bsky.social on Friday Support the respectatwork.ie petition

High minimum wage? (No) Generous welfare payments? (No) A canary in the coal mine? (Too soon to say) I’ve some words here on the 4,500 jump in the monthly youth unemployment rate in yesterday’s CSO estimates. jrnl.ie/6785620

12 weeks. Monday 27 October. When the next bank holiday is. The biggest gap between two long weekends.

866,874 of beneficiaries were aged over 66 and 1,288,428 were aged under 18 (61% of the 3.5m total beneficiaries of social protection in 2024).

I spoke to the Indo about a motion passed at our conference for a firefighters union’s Fight for 52 (52 weeks full pay for employees on maternity leave) to be ICTU policy. Enough pearl-clutching about falling fertility. Get mad at the financial penalty on working families and join our Fight for 52!

€12 on the pension would push it over €300 a week (currently €289.30) and put the breaks on mounting accusations of an uncaring government.

Once more unto the breach! #NED25

“For women with high ambition, you must find a partner who will support your career. Otherwise, the evidence is clear: just stay single.” www.ft.com/content/e808...

Half a billion handout with no strings attached.

Our #BDC25 conference packs are being dropped off at affiliated union HQs today for onward delivery to delegates. Can’t wait? Activity report and conference agenda now available online www.ictu.ie/publications...

When our mothers were young workers, job interviewers could ask about their family planning or childcare arrangements! Soon we’ll ban asking job applicants about their earnings to ensure if you’re in a job where you’re underpaid or undervalued, low pay won’t follow you for the rest of your career.

GONE TO PRINT🤸🏻‍♀️ 2-year union activity report 🗓️ 165 pages 📑 200+ photos 📸 ZERO typos 🤥 5-star www.three-creative.com/ designer 🧑‍🎨 4 weeks till we see y’all at our #BDC25 👋

Nine weeks. Monday 4 August. In case you’re wondering when the next bank holiday is.

Some woman for one woman 🫡 Delighted Betty will be bringing her passion and know-how to our ICTU retired workers’ committee.

EU source: “Can he not just f*** off and let us have a Friday” #Trumptariffs

Over 1 million people (1,034,900) are now working from home at least some of the week. Over half a million (554.5m) usually work more than half the time from home, up almost 15,000 year-on-year. Reports of the death of remote are greatly exaggerated! CSO, Q1 2025 Labour Force Survey.