Win a two-week holiday for two to Cuba with €/£500 spending money. Tickets cost €/£10 or €/£50 for a book of 6. The draw takes place on 21st October 2023. Get your tickets now via PayPal here The post 2023 LookLeft Cuba Holiday Draw appeared first on LookLeft ..read more

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. They have also sought a 10% increase in the ancillary Services grant and the abolition of the grant being ‘cap ..read more

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.  Commenting ahead of the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Unite Regional Coordinating Officer Tom Fitzgerald said: “Earlier this year, Unite recommended increasing the Minimum Wage to 66% of median earnings, which would equate to approximately €14.9 ..read more

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. Despite this, they have been left in the dire situation of being on the same rate of pay since 2008 with no way of securing a rise, apart from taking the campaign of industrial action on which they have now em ..read more

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. INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:    “The INMO has long warned that Ireland’s h ..read more

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. Reacting to the publication by the Central Bank of data on account opening and closing John O’Connell,General Secretary of the FSU, welcomed the publication by the Central Bank of data collated from all the main retail banks showing the account opening and closing statistics up to the end of August. “There is a considerable amount of data to analyse but some things are immediately clear,” he ..read more

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.  “This increase was only won because of a powerful strike by Unite members at the council; indeed only days ago they notified council bosses of their intent to move to an all-out strike after the conclusion of th ..read more

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. “On Monday 15 August, our members employed as cleaners in De La Salle College, Waterford, with very little notice, were informed by management, without any consultation or agreement, that their employment was being outsourced to a private service provider,” said SIPTU Organiser Con Casey. “Management has issued them with a notice stating that the transfer of employment wo ..read more

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. Those that can pay, should pay,” said Patrick Killeen, a Dunnes worker from Mayo and a member of Mandate Trade Union’s Dunnes National Committee. “What we want is a ..read more

The Abortion Rights Campaign has welcomed the news that at least 6,700 people were able to access safe and legal abortions within Ireland last year. While the Department of Health’s annual report on abortion statistics says that the minister was notified of 4,577 terminations in 2021, a supplementary note to the report explains that data collection was impacted by the HSE hack. Following further study, the Department of Health believes approximately 6,700 terminations took place in 2021. “The amount of abortions carried out in Ireland last year underscores the consistent demand for quality, ac ..read more