The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is today launching a document outlining the key priorities it wants parties contesting the election to address.

Marathon talks between the Government and public sector unions aimed at securing €1.3bn in cuts in the upcoming Budget adjourned this morning at Government buildings without concrete agreement.

WATERFORD CRYSTAL workers, fearing for their pensions, received mixed messages from the Government yesterday about the possibility of assistance from the state.

IRISH employers will get a significant boost on Friday when workers will give €300 million worth of free labour on the day — February 29.

THE anti-smoking lobby is on a collision course with trade unions and the country’s statisticians over proposals to reform the way cigarette price rises are measured.

A MAJOR crackdown on the exploitation of young people working in bars, hotels and restaurants has led to a 60% rise in labour inspections.

THOUSANDS of hi-tech and specialist jobs could be lost to cheap-labour countries such as India or China, union bosses said yesterday.

WOMEN are staying at work longer to escape their children, it emerged yesterday.

THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions is heartened to see Senator Shane Ross give such enthusiastic backing to our call for the state to purchase the West Link toll bridge with a view to making it toll-free.

AS the largest civil society organisation on the island - representing some 750,000 working people - the Irish Congress of Trade Unions expects to draw its fair share of criticism and comment.