THE leadership of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has warned that “in the face of austerity heaped on austerity”, the time may be approaching when it will advocate a default on the country’s debt to its 600,000 members.

IRELAND is viewed in the developed world as a “reactionary state” because of the absence of collective bargaining rights, it has been claimed.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has opened the door for Government and unions to create a new form of social partnership on workers’ rights.

Pay agreements for low earners, the banking crisis and job creation will be top of the agenda for trade unionists this week.

Up to 800 trade union delegates and guests from home and abroad will gather in Killarney today, for the 2011 Biennial Delegate Conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).

ENTERPRISE Minister Richard Bruton has been warned that his proposals to reform wage-setting mechanisms could cause poverty for hundreds of thousands of low-paid workers.

THE 45,000-member Technical Engineering and Electrical Union will today decide whether to support a campaign of civil disobedience if the Government does not call a general election.

THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions is almost certain this morning to follow the example of SIPTU and vote in favour of participating in the new national pay and employment talks.

GREEN Party Minister Eamon Ryan has defended the absence of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern from the Dáil last Wednesday.

A campaign by teaching unions for smaller class sizes and better resources has moved up a gear.

The leader of the country’s largest union, Siptu, took a swipe at the Government today blaming it for the near endless rises in the cost of living.

One of the country’s largest trade unions will today urge a crackdown on the buy-out of companies by private equity investors.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is due to address the biennial conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in Co Donegal this morning.

Rising interest rates and problems in the health service are expected to dominate the biennial conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in Co Donegal this week.

The Taoiseach has said that the series of industrial disputes in public sector companies over the past two years have "held the public to ransom".