Marriage proposals from men seeking good wives; butter, milk and potatoes as part payment of wages - such are the anecdotes that populate the pages of a new social history documenting the colourful history of the country's first nurses' trade union.

Aer Lingus employees are expected to be balloted at the end of next month on the latest recommendations aimed at solving the aviation pensions dispute.

Irish Ferries has confirmed that 450 crew members have been laid off on the three services that were suspended yesterday.

All Tesco supermarkets in the Irish Republic were due to be closed today by a strike involving 9,500 members of its workforce.