It is now well accepted that the fortunes of the construction industry are on the rise. How firmly this recovery establishes itself and how quickly it will return to healthy employment levels will, however, depend in no small part of the attitude of trade unions in the face of changing labour regulations.

All-out strike action by 6,500 electricians on February 24 could cause as much disruption to major infrastructural projects and manufacturing enterprises as similar action did in 2009.

All-out strike action by 6,500 electricians could cause serious disruption to major infrastructural projects and manufacturing within a matter of weeks.

The TEEU has described the student service charges on apprentices as "unfair and unaffordable".

It is not too often that the Supreme Court declares something to be unconstitutional, but when it does it is usually something that will have a wide ranging affect for a large number of people.

The Department of Social Protection has the highest level of sick leave of all government departments at 13.5 sick days per employee last year, new figures have revealed.

A third major trade union has come out against the European fiscal compact and will urge its 40,000 members to vote No in the referendum.

A top law firm has launched an investigation into a bogus memo that claims to have come from the company advising the public on paying the household charge.

Thirty-two former workers staging a sit-in at the Vita-Cortex plant in County Cork are waiting to hear if their former employers will meet with them at the Labour Relations Commission to discuss redundancy terms.

A leading trade union has warned that threats of industrial action at the ESB will play into the hands of the privatisation lobby.

DIVISIONS between the unions representing workers at the ESB have deepened after the TEEU described talk of balloting members for strike action as a “knee-jerk reaction”.

A group of high-profile men today called on the incoming Government to reform vice laws to target people who pay for sex instead of women forced into prostitution.

Senior trade union leaders are meeing members of the EU/IMF delegation this morning.

A union today called workers to launch a campaign of civil disobedience in protest at the Government’s national recovery plan.

The Government tonight denied that a bailout for the crippled economy will see it forced into imposing even tougher cuts in public spending.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) has passed a motion calling for a campaign of civil disobedience.

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.

THOUSANDS of skilled electricians are leaving the country with their union assisting them in finding employment in Australia and Canada.

UNIONS have hit out at the rising cost of the bank bailout, suggesting it will inflict further damage on the economy.

THE executive of the country’s second largest construction union has unanimously rejected a recommendation by the Labour Court that the minimum wage in the industry be dropped by 7.5%.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union has today rejected a Labour Court recommendation for a 7.5% cut in construction industry pay rates.

JOBS agency Fás has vowed to continue efforts to secure EU funding despite the agency being “battered” with financial scandals and allegations.

ELECTRICAL employers have failed in their High Court challenge to the legally binding system which sets pay and conditions of hundreds of thousands of workers in numerous industries across the economy.

Trade union leaders are meeting with representatives of Green Isle foods this morning in a bid to end the six month dispute over the sacking of six workers at the Kildare plant.

The six-month dispute at the Green Isle Foods plant in Naas in Co Kildare takes a new twist today.

THE trade union movement is in a very difficult place. Angry at the way its members have been treated by the budget it has to find a way to respond that protects their interests.

GOVERNMENT ministers have upped pressure on the semi-state companies, such as ESB, CIÉ and Bord Gáis, to slash wages and help lower the cost of living nationally.

The General Secretary of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) Eamon Devoy has said pay cuts to semi-state workers will not be tolertated.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is due to reveal details of how much the Government plans to pay for toxic bank loans when the Dáil returns from its lengthy summer break today.

FALSE claims by anti-Lisbon campaigners regarding the lowering of the minimum wage in Ireland will sway voters if they are not countered strongly, according to Fianna Fáil.

Union chiefs warned tonight of another crippling electricans’ strike after a contracting group rejected peace proposals.

STRIKING electricians were due back to work this morning but with a warning that they were only suspending, not ending, their strike action.

Electricians are to return to work tomorrow.

The Labour Court has recommended a 4.9% pay hike for electricians, union chiefs said last night.

THE first signs of a possible resolution in the dispute between electrical contractors and electricians appeared last night as employers looked set to take their demand for a 10% pay cut in the industry off the table.

The two sides in the electricians' dispute remained locked in face-to-face talks at the Labour Relations Commission this afternoon, with a resolution still apparently a long way off.

Striking electricians vowed to keep up their all-out stoppage today as union leaders re-enter talks with employers regarding a pay row.

Striking electricians tonight vowed to keep up their damaging all-out stoppage as union leaders agreed to re-enter talks with employers over a bitter pay row.

Union chiefs were today pushing for an all-out strike on construction sites after up to 11,000 electricians downed tools in a row over pay.

Some of the country’s largest construction projects are expected to face serious disruption today as almost 11,000 electricians down tools in a row over pay.

The country is facing widespread disruption tomorrow as more than 10,000 electricians vow to go on strike.

Around 10,000 electricians look set to strike after talks between electrical contractors and the TEEU at the Labour Relations Commission failed to reach agreement.

THE Labour Relations Commission has 48 hours to avert indefinite strike action by 10,500 electricians which could grind all the country’s major construction projects to a halt from Monday.