The recent figures from the Central Statistics Office on membership of a trade union make for grim reading. Just over a third of workers in the 26 Counties, 34.6% are now members of trade unions compared with 45.8% in 1994. The decline is greatest in Dublin which had the highest proportion of union members in 1994 but has plummeted over 15 points to 33.1% of the workforce. Only the west and mid-east have lower figures. Free article

The media in Ireland and internationally have heralded the welcome and overdue Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as "the end of the 38-year occupation". However, brutal military occupation continues throughout Palestine and many believe Israel will use its withdrawal to reinforce repressive policies more generally. Free article

The employment of about 1,700 external contractors by the ESB has forced more than 1,000 staff technicians in ESB Networks to plan for strike action this Monday. The workers, all members of the ATGWU have highlighted the difficulties ESB apprentices are having getting jobs with the company because of the extent to which the company uses outside contractors. Free article

Outsourcing is also the source of ongoing difficulties in the state's seafaring industry. A report prepared by the Irish Maritime Development Office at the request of the government and reported in the Irish Times warns that if the Government fails to intervene to stop the rate of outsourcing, 900 jobs could be lost in the next three to five years. Free article

EU news from Strasbourg in brief Free article

Sinn Féin is supporting a protest over school bus services this Thursday at the Southern Education & Library Board (SELB) offices in Armagh by parents of schoolchildren in Mullaghbawn and other areas. Free article

A television advertisement for the Make Poverty History campaign has been pulled from the air as it was deemed too political by Ofcom, the body charged with vetting television and radio advertisements in Britain. Free article

The recent tragic deaths of three homeless people in Dublin has highlighted the 26-County Government's failure in relation to the issue of homelessness and housing provision. Free article

The media silly season this year has been followed by a political silly season as the establishment parties in the 26 Counties engage in various window-dressing exercises. In Cavan the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party threw a few shapes and made a few more promises. In Mullingar Enda Kenny and Pat Rabbitte nailed a flimsy plank to the rickety Fine Gael-Labour election platform. Then in Portlaoise and Dublin this week Fine Gael and the PDs gathered for the cameras. Free article

A large crowd of republicans from South Derry and North Antrim gathered on Saturday 10 September at Lavey Churchyard, South Derry before parading to the new Republican Memorial Garden in Gulladuff. Two memorial stones were unveiled listing the names of republicans from the area who have died in the cause of Irish freedom over the centuries. Free article