Laura Bambrick

📰 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.

Fathers with young children working much less than in 2019, study finds The average hours worked in Ireland fell by 6.5pc between 2019 and 2024, and fathers of young children taking more time off is the main reason for the decline.

www.independent.ie/business/in-...

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.

Yes, it’s a big gap (12 weeks) but lots of people use their annual leave in between and the days are longer and weather kinder. Not so much at the start of the year.

What is St Brigid's bank holiday worth to the economy? After a long, wet January, the St Brigid's bank holiday is a welcome day off work for many people.

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 The auto-enrolment pension scheme, here’s how it works.

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

Government’s childcare plan guarantees more of the same Responding to the Government’s plans to acquire childcare facilities, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said:

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

My Future Fund blindsides industry on charges Typical pension industry rates for investment management and administration are 25 times the 0.04 per cent charged by the auto-enrolment scheme

My Future Fund blindsides industry on charges www.thetimes.com/article/be3d...

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???

Pensions auto-enrolment: It kicks in this month, let's recap on how it will all work As the first wages for the new year hit bank accounts, ICTU’s Laura Bambrick answers our questions about the new MyFutureFund pension scheme that a quarter of workers have been signed up to.

jrnl.ie/6925666

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)

Pensions auto-enrolment: It kicks in this month, let's recap on how it will all work As the first wages hit bank accounts for the new year, ICTU’s Laura Bambrick answers our questions about the new MyFutureFund pension scheme that a quarter of workers have been signed up to.

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

20-year wait for pension auto-enrolment is finally over The new Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System known as MyFutureFund starts from today (Thursday, 1 January 2026).Welcoming this landmark social policy, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions gener...

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."

Questionnaire of workplace pension and retirement expectations Hi guys, this is a questionnaire of workplace pension and your retirement expectations. I am a 5th Year student, and the data collected will be used exclusively for my academic project (no commercial ...

🙏 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

Concern as number of unemployed young people jumped by a percentage point in just one month Approximately one in eight people between 15 and 24 who are eligible to work are unemployed.

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