Housekeepers, cleaners and domestics are part of a unique ecosystem within every hospital. They like their peers in the other parts of the hospitals all perform key tasks to ensure the smooth and safe running of hospitals. The essential nature of this work was highlighted when all healthcare and healthcare adjacent staff worked heroically throughout the pandemic. Their efforts deserve real recognition, and this recognition can only be given by affording every worker the right to challenge the outcome of their job evaluation and where relevant be brought up in band.

PhD researchers face significant adverse consequences from being classed as students. They have no statutory entitlement to sick leave, maternity leave, or the minimum wage. Their income is not classed as taxable, and therefore they are unable to make PRSI contributions or claim tax credits. They have no collective bargaining rights. The system places PhDs in constant insecurity and gives no support to those who need it. A plurality of European countries have recognised that some model of employment rights are necessary to guarantee fair pay and conditions for doctoral researchers. Ireland should follow these countries and alter the status of PhD researchers so as to guarantee these protections.

The issue of employment status has become particularly pressing with the recent launch of PWO's report, 'Workers in All, but Name, Pay, and Conditions' (find at: https://pwo.ie/our-policies/); and imminent publications the Irish Universities Association (IUA) and the final draft of the government's 'National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers.' PhD researchers have none of the standard entitlements of employees such as PRSI, sick leave, maternity leave, the minimum wage, or the right to join a trade union. They earn less than subsistence wages in conditions of insecurity. The call for employee status has been made as a solution to these problems, bringing us in line with European best practice. Recently organisations such as IFUT, SIPTU, and the USI have all endorsed employee status. But the IUA and university administrators have voiced their opposition. We believe an issue as important as this should be debated openly and across the entire college community. The discussion should not be confined to boardrooms, and all should have the opportunity to hear both sides and express their opinion. That is why we call on the Provost to commit to organising a public debate on the issue that will be open to all students and staff.

Student nurses in Ireland are working 12 hour shifts 3 days a week and aren’t paid a cent. They’re paying for their transport to and from placement and their meals whilst working. They deserve to be compensated for the money they’re spending. They play an important role in our healthcare system and are the future of our care.

0% Irish female solo artists featured in the Top 50 Radio Charts songs of 2022. In 2023 only 3% 3% of the Top 100 Songs on Irish radio in 2023 included solo/lead/front Irish female artists. 3,255,000 listeners tune into Irish radio every weekday. When it comes to music, getting your song added to a playlist on a radio station can be life-changing for an Irish artist. The Irish broadcasting sector has historically not supported women or diverse artists in music from Ireland. Following a series of Gender Disparity Data Reports conducted by Linda Coogan Byrne and her team at Why Not Her?, the evidence showed that Irish radio managers consciously decide year in and year out to exclude Irish female-identifying artists, female fronting bands and diverse artists from Radio Playlists across Ireland. Of songs featured in the Top 50 Radio Charts of 2022, only 12% were by domestic Irish artists or bands (0% Irish female solo artists). This translates to 6 songs by 4 Irish artists: 1 song by Belters Only feat. Jazzy; 3 songs by Dermot Kennedy; 1 song by Moncrieff; and 1 song by Welshy feat. Nono. None were by Irish persons of colour - solo artists or groups - and none were by female solo artists or groups. Fast forward a year later and only 3% of the Top 100 Songs on Irish radio in 2023 included solo/lead/front Irish female artists: Jazzy*, Aimée and Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries. As the years go by, it is becoming more and more difficult for Irish people to discover and hear the music of Irish women and diverse artists. When asked why there are so few women artists played on the radio, managers said: "Men make better music than women" "Why are you feeding us to the wolves?" "We don't have the budget to be diverse" "We don't make the rules" "Women just moan" "She is too old and long in the tooth to be making music" "We actually had some women on a Special Friday Night show back in Feb" "It's the label's fault, not ours" "You should analyse the record companies. You’ll see an imbalance in what we’re being sent". "It is whatever makes the charts" "People prefer to listen to male acts, they request them on air!" "You need to be careful and stop stepping on people's toes in radio" "You need to stop asking questions" In the meantime, many new and emerging male artists are recognised and supported across the airwaves, allowing for a host of new household names to emerge in the landscape of Irish music in the past decade. It is common for white male lead/front artists/bands such as Hozier, Gavin James, Cian Ducrot, Robert Grace, Moncrieff, The Script, etc. to be heavily played during the day and evening on Irish airwaves, while their diverse and female counterparts are played in the middle of the night. The Journal.ie 13.02.24 https://www.thejournal.ie/prev/6298235/dvX7Tyf5Xocvo/

We are teachers; we teach children. We teach them about society and how they will grow up to be full participants in society. We teach them about empathy and solidarity; and we teach them, when they see obvious injustice, that they should act. We are horrified to be witnessing a deliberate, catastrophic humanitarian tragedy being inflicted on Gaza. We say this because we do not believe that the killing of children can be justified as "collateral damage," in the pursuit of a murderous, illusory, self-defeating and futile goal. Nor do we accept assurances that efforts are being made to avoid the deaths of children. Since October the 7th, over 13,000 children have died violently in Gaza; 4551 of them were school students. An additional 8,193 children have suffered injuries. We teach children every day, we know that these are not just numbers. Each of these children is as precious as your own child. These are innocent lives, cut short in the most barbaric manner. To date, 231 of our teaching colleagues in Gaza have been murdered, and 762 injured in brutal attacks by the Israeli army, which has been given billions of dollars by the United States to destroy Gaza. Schools - the bastions of hope and enlightenment - are being mercilessly and illegally targeted. A staggering 281 schools have been bombed or damaged; 83 are severely damaged; one-third are inoperable; and seven are utterly destroyed. To compound this tragedy, 133 schools are now makeshift shelters for displaced civilians, clinging to the vain hope that schools will not be targeted. We cannot turn a blind eye to the unambiguous war crimes that are being committed; to the genocidal assertions made by members of the Israeli cabinet; nor to the on-going ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, to facilitiate colonisation of their land. If you also believe that the mass slaughter of children, the assassination of teachers and the destruction of the educational system of Gaza is unacceptable, then we ask you to join us in saying stop. Just stop. Simply stop. We, the undersigned teachers from every corner of the globe, urgently demand you use your influence and resources to champion an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and in the West Bank. The time for diplomatic solutions and decisive action is now. We demand an immediate permanent ceasefire and the effective application of international law. Your contribution doesn't mean you are pro one group or against another. Your petition means you are pro humanity

Even the Garda Representative Organisation says that the rule to ban Guards from having tattoos should be changed. A massive petition will make it too hard for policing bosses to ignore us all.

Sickness occurs through no fault of the employee, so why should they be punished for it? In times when inflation is soaring, interest rates on mortgages are rising, and bills at the tills are becoming bigger and bigger, an employee shouldn't have to do without 30% of their wages because they were sick.

Fast fashion may seem convenient and affordable, but the truth is, it's taking a huge toll on worker's rights. From the usage of harmful chemicals causing sickness among people working in sweatshops to child labor and modern slavery, the fashion industry is one of the biggest exploiters of labor. Garment workers, work day and night for meagre wages, while companies like SHEIN indulge in fleeting fashion trends and earn billions on sufferings. SHEIN is known not only for stealing designs from artists and small labels but also resorting to questionable practices and inhumane conditions for their sweatshop workers. These people work up to 18 hours a day, and are paid as little as 4 cents per finished clothing item. On top of that, they often face harsh penalties, losing two-thirds of their daily wages for minor mistakes in their work. To make matters worse, SHEIN has shown no hesitation in selling offensive items, like Islamic prayer rugs as decorative mats and swastika necklaces. This is our time to boycott SHEIN and show them we have had enough of their shady practices and exploitation of vulnerable people. LESS FAST FASHION, MORE WORKER RIGHTS

Fast fashion may seem convenient and affordable, but the truth is, it's taking a huge toll on worker's rights. From the usage of harmful chemicals causing sickness among people working in sweatshops to child labor and modern slavery, the fashion industry is one of the biggest exploiters of labor. Garment workers, work day and night for meagre wages, while companies like SHEIN indulge in fleeting fashion trends and earn billions on sufferings. SHEIN is known not only for stealing designs from artists and small labels but also resorting to questionable practices and inhumane conditions for their sweatshop workers. These people work up to 18 hours a day, and are paid as little as 4 cents per finished clothing item. On top of that, they often face harsh penalties, losing two-thirds of their daily wages for minor mistakes in their work. To make matters worse, SHEIN has shown no hesitation in selling offensive items, like Islamic prayer rugs as decorative mats and swastika necklaces. This is our time to boycott SHEIN and show them we have had enough of their shady practices and exploitation of vulnerable people. LESS FAST FASHION, MORE WORKER RIGHTS

The decision by MU’s Governing Authority and senior management to replace democratic elections with a selection process, whereby they assume, with the assistance of a private recruitment firm, the responsibility of handpicking staff representatives, is an attack on basic principles of democracy and good governance.

**Gaeilge thíos, Irish below** On the 26th June 2023, a long-awaited and long-delayed review into PhD support in Ireland was published. It recommended that government-funded PhD candidates receive a stipend of €25,000/year starting September 2023. Since then, bodies such as the SFI, the IRC, & Teagasc have remained silent, have not committed to raising stipends, and have not responded to PWO inquiries for clarification on how they would react to the review’s recommendations. The vast majority of the PGRs in Ireland are paid the equivalent of less than minimum wage, with the vast majority being held at 30% below minimum wage or worse. During the ongoing cost of living crisis, however, even a minimum wage is not enough to live on. They are desperately in need of better pay and increased support, so it is essential that stipends are raised as soon as possible. Moreover, PGRs need to know what their financial situation will look like in the near-future so they can make informed decisions about their accommodation in the midst of a longstanding housing crisis that is further exacerbated by the worsening cost of living crisis. With upcoming research costs for conferences, publications, and presentations, as well as the prospect of moving and various other important financial decisions, PGRs need clarity on what level of support they can count on from their funding agencies. However, with the current lack of communication about the potential stipend increase, PGRs have been left in limbo. Some PGRs are making long-term commitments on the basis of the stipend they receive, such as tenancy agreements, and cannot accept further delays. The Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation therefore demands that SFI, the IRC, Teagasc, and other PhD-funding bodies raise stipends to at least a living wage (i.e. €25,000/year) by September as recommended by the recent review into PhD support in Ireland, and that this increase be communicated immediately and clearly to all PhDs. ---------Gaeilge--------- Ar 26 mí Meitheamh 2023, foilsíodh tuairisc ar thacaíochta na PhDanna tar éis tréimhse feithimh agus moillithe fada. Mhol sé stipinn €25,000/bliain do PhDanna a raibh maoiniú acu ón rialtas ó Mheán Fómhair 2023 amach. Níl raibh trácht ar bith ó chomhlachtaí cosúil le SFI, leis an IRC, ná le Teagasc ar an scéal, níl gealltanas tugtha acu stipinní a ardú, agus níor fhreagair siad ceisteanna curtha ag an EOI maidir le soiléiriú ar na freagraí a bheas acu. Íoctar níos lú ná pá íosta do mhórchuid na dtaighdeoirí iarchéime in Éirinn, agus bíonn móramh acu 30% faoi phá íosta nó níos measa as. Le linn an géarchéim mhaireachtála reatha, ní leor pá íosta fiú le maireachtáil. Tá géarghá ag na taighdeoirí iarchéime ar tacaíochtaí agus pá níos fearr agus níos airde, agus mar sin is gá go mbeidh ardú tagtha ar na stipinní chomh luath agus is féidir. Thairis sin, caithfidh taighdeoirí iarchéime tuiscint cé chaoi mar a bheas an scéal sna míonna atá romhainn le go mbeadh siad in ann cinntí cónaithe a dhéanamh go feasach. Go áirithe le linn géarchéimeanna tithíochta agus maireachtála, tá an-ghá leis sin. Le costais comhdhálacha taighde, foilseacháin, taispeántais, aistrithe, srl. i measc go leor cinntí airgeadais eile, ní mór soiléireacht a thabhairt do taighdeoirí iarchéime maidir le cé mhéad tacaíochta a bheas ag dul chucu óna gcomhlachtaí maoinithe. Leis an easpa cumarsáide atá ann anois maidir le ardú na stipinní, fágadh lár lár na taighdeoirí iarchéime. Tá ar cuid acu cinntí fad-téarmach, cosúil le conartha tionóntachta, a ndéanamh acu de réir an stipinn atá ann faoi láthair, agus ní féidir leo leanúint ar aghaidh gan tuilleadh soiléireacht ar an scéal. Éilíonn Eagraíocht na nOibrithe Iarchéimithe mar sin go ndéanfaidh SFI, an IRC, Teagasc, agus comhlachtaí maoinithe PhDanna eile an stipinn a ardú go pá inmhaireachtála (.i. €25,000/bliain) ar a laghad roimh mí Mheáin Fhómhair mar atá molta ag an tuairisc le déanaí ar thacaíochta na PhDanna in Éirinn. Éilítear chomh maith go ndéanfar an ardú seo a fógairt go soiléir le gach uile PhD.