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The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for additional publicly-funded and – provided college places following the publication of a Government-commissioned report. The report, which states that the intake of nursing students will have to double in the higher education system in the next twenty years, should be prioritised alongside the Expert Review Group on Nursing and Midwifery’s recommendation to review the undergraduate nursing and midwifery programmes, said the union.

Workers at Dunnes Stores lodged a significant pay claim with the company on Wednesday. The claim seeks a minimum 7.7% pay increase for all workers, additional annual leave days, improvements to the staff discount schemes, and the creation of full-time jobs. “Workers all over the country are struggling right now, yet many employers, like Dunnes Stores, are capable of paying higher wages and improving conditions of employment.

The trade union Unite has called on the Government to set aside the Low Pay Commission report which recommends an increase in the hourly Minimum Wage of just €0.80 to €11.30. Unite said that the proposed 80 cent increase means that the Government has effectively ‘ripped up’ its commitment to move to a Living Wage by the end of its term in office.

SIPTU members employed by De La Salle College, Waterford, are to ballot for industrial and strike action following a decision by the school’s management to unilaterally outsource their employment to a private sector provider.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham has said that a victory on pay at Mid Ulster District Council only came about because of strike action. Graham made the remarks while congratulating Unite members on their pay victory, which saw agreement for a deal involving two pay grade increases and a one-off £750 lump sum above that mandated by the National Joint Council (NJC) pay award.

The Financial Services Union (FSU) has called on the Central Bank to urgently intervene and inform Ulster Bank and KBC that they need to extend their timelines for exiting the Irish retail banking market.

SIPTU has called on the Government to extend the terms of the public service pay deal to workers in the community sector and Section 39 organisations who have not received a pay rise since 2008. Adrian Kane, SIPTU Public Administration and Community Division Organiser, said: “These workers provide some of our most vital services, caring for the vulnerable and maintaining our communities.

The management bodies of primary schools have called for an immediate increase in school funding. An Foras Pátrúnachta, the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA), Church of Ireland Board of Education, Educate Together, Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), NAMBSE, and the Muslim Primary Board issued a joint statement last week calling for an increase in the basic capitation rate by 50% to €275 per pupil and an increase of 10% across all other capitation rates.

On Tuesday, the Government was all in a flurry as it announced Budget 2023, including apparently unprecedented levels of funding for housing. The next day, the Business Post reported that the plan to completely phase out leasing homes as “social housing” is still under review. On Thursday the story became public that a Maynooth student had been told by her landlord that half her bed was going to be rented out for €25 a night to a stranger.

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