# Trade Unions
Last month
September 2023
Thousands of local authority workers begin industrial action today
Participating local authority staff will no longer respond to queries from politicians.
This year
2023
Fórsa warns members may opt for industrial action if pay increases don't match inflation
A survey conducted of the union’s members found that the majority support a ballot for industrial action if inflation-matching pay increased aren’t secured.
The 'far-right is mobilising in communities and workplaces' and must be challenged, unions warn
A video released to coincide with International Workers Day declares a stance to combat “anti-migrant” campaigns.
Last year
2022
'We stand with you': Bernie Sanders appears at London rally to back striking UK workers
The influential US lawmaker joined members of the RMT union at a rally for transport workers in London.
Public sector pay talks run to 3am but no deal reached
ICTU President Kevin Callinan said some progress was made and negotiations remained civil, but the gap between sides may not be bridged.
Department to explore 'substantial' revisions to remote working bill after criticism
The draft bill has gone down like a “lead balloon” with workers, said Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly.
'Absenteeism': Union officials hit out at use of term to describe workers out for Covid reasons
“Covid-related shortages are not the result of ‘absenteeism’, which is defined as an avoidable absence from work.”
All time
Dublin Airport facing potential strikes as unions to ballot members over outsourcing plans
The potential industrial action includes a full withdrawal of labour.
Paul Murphy: This May Day, imagine a world without weekends...
The People Before Profit TD looks at the history of May Day and assesses the challenges of the modern workplace.
School principal: 'Pitting school staff against parents in a game of political football has not helped'
Wicklow principal Pádraig Murphy says some vulnerable children will need years of added support after this but it’s important to only open schools when safe to do so.
Social distancing rules mean it's inevitable students won't be back in school full-time - ASTI
Teachers’ unions will appear before the Dáil’s Covid-19 committee today.
Aer Lingus workers reject proposals on working conditions
Trade union Fórsa criticised the approach taken by Aer Lingus.
'Unjustifiable gap' between CEO pay and average worker earnings criticised in new report
The ICTU report shows that among the 26 large firms studied, CEO pay rose in 11 of them.
500 ambulance staff to hold another 24-hour strike in a row over union recognition
Workers have already staged seven days of work stoppages in January, February and March and May.
Opinion: Far-right politics on the rise so we need to stop silencing working class voices on the left
Ordinary working-class people are being silenced by left-wing commentators, because of their lack of regard for modern liberal terminology, writes Conor Kenny.
16 years of precarious work in English language schools caused me to develop anxiety
I felt anxious, alienated and depressed. Irish workers must unite to resist the creeping casualisation of work, writes Keith Murdiff.
Ryanair's Q3 profits up by 12%, but O'Leary warns that 2018 will be a 'bumpy year'
Michael O’Leary said the company will remain “cautious” throughout the rest of its financial year.
The world's biggest security firm is refusing to improve redundancy payouts for Irish staff
G4S cut workers after moving some operations from Dublin to Belfast.
Ryanair fell foul of Europe's top court today - here's what you need to know
The decision may have a big impact on future labour disputes at the airline.
Business leaders welcome Macron's labour reforms but trade unions aren't so happy
France’s biggest trade union is planning street protests next month.
Public service pay deal is 'fair to workers and taxpayers' - Donohoe
A draft deal to succeed the Lansdowne Road agreement was reached late last night.
Shane Ross: 'People want me to come to the Bus Éireann dispute with money. I have none to offer'
The Transport Minister rejected all calls to intervene in the dispute.
Unions say they're 'ready for battle' as Bus Éireann announces widespread pay cuts
Strike action now looks inevitable.
Irish Rail postpones its plans for 10-minute Darts
The company said it was due to the “intransigence” of unions.
Was Polish anti-Communist hero Lech Walesa secretly a Communist informant?
Shocking new documents suggest the Solidarity icon was a paid informant for the secret police. But Walesa says they’re fake.
A LOT more money is donated to the Socialists than Sinn Féin or Fianna Fáil
It could be linked to the anti-water charge movement.
As its workers strike over unfair treatment, Dunnes responds with 1-day only online offer
More than half of the company’s employees are on strike over “fair pay” and “a precarious working environment”.
Leo Varadkar thinks our abortion laws are 'too restrictive'
The Health Minister had made a landmark speech in the Dáil tonight.
Gardaí win the right to strike in case against the State
Under the ruling, gardaí can be members of trade unions.
Workers risk "losing their jobs" because of transphobia and homophobia
BeLonG To and ICTU have joined forces to launch a campaign to help end discrimination and bullying.
New workers' rights legislation could lead to practices 'outlawed' in other countries
However, it has been welcomed by Ibec, who believe it will help Ireland to continue to attract foreign direct investment.
1,500 jobseekers are being put on compulsory JobBridge
And will face penalties if they don’t take up their places.
Opinion: Recovery can't be built on austerity or even tax breaks – workers need a fair wage
Yes, we need to reject austerity and its offshoots – privatisation, poverty and emigration – but also populist and short-term solutions to long-term challenges.
SIPTU: 'Unity on the left could have prevented the bank guarantee'
The General President of the union has also called for more unity on the left to build a ‘New Republic’.
Aaron McKenna: Essential utilities like the ESB should be protected from strikes
Without power, our modern society cannot function normally – which is why workers at the ESB ought to be banned from striking and causing a total or partial power failure, writes Aaron McKenna.
‘This is more than dollars and cents’: US trade unions bring anti-austerity message to Ireland
Several leaders of large trade unions in the US were in Dublin this week to argue against austerity. They also spoke to TheJournal.ie about the political deadlock in the US.
US trade union leaders in Dublin to talk about 'devastating impacts of austerity'
Dan Kane, from the Teamsters, Terry O’Sullivan (LIUNA), John Hegarty (National Postal Mail Handlers Union), Brent Booker (Building Construction Trades Department) and Ed Smith (Ullico) are all in Dublin for the week.
ESB hits out at 'inaccuracies' in reports about pension scheme
Reports over the last couple of days suggested the company had changed the nature of the scheme and failed to tell its auditor KPMG about opposition to the changes from unions.
