Employers have been told by the Minister for Labour Affairs Billy Kelleher not to cut back on safety to achieve cost savings in the current economic slowdown.

A REVOLUTIONARY breast cancer treatment developed in Cork and tested on Irish women was launched yesterday.

TWO young DJs who set up an in-store broadcasting firm have won the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

FOUR of the five members of the National Irish Safety Organisation’s (NISO) management committee have resigned in a row over attempts to reduce the size of the board.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, TD today launched a major publicity campaign to inform workers of their rights, as new figures confirm that the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) recovered €2.5m in wages for workers during 2007.

A workers’ rights helpline received 93,000 calls received from the public in 2007, it emerged today.

The number of industrial disputes referred to the Labour Court last year dropped by 2%, it was disclosed today.

NEARLY half of cases referred to the Labour Court last year related to alleged breaches by employers of agreements made with their employees, according to its annual reports.

VOTERS in Ireland’s least populous county are three times better represented by local politicians than in more populous areas of Cork, according to statistics released yesterday.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin has today welcomed the appointment of the Ministers of State to his Department.

WORKERS who feel they have been unfairly dismissed from their job could soon benefit from reforms recommended in the operations of the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

A regulation that will affect businesses of all sizes across Ireland will be launched today.

US-OWNED Microsemi has reversed its decision to close its Ennis electronics plant.

Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen, today announced the establishment of two new companies at Shannon Free Zone in Co Clare.

IRISH RAIL has ruled out the reopening of the Crusheen railway station, within the planned Western Rail Corridor, as the population of the area does not support such a move.

Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen said today's approval of a draft Open Skies agreement between the EU and the US would help Shannon Airport “go from strength to strength”.

MORE than 150 people discovered yesterday that they are to lose their jobs as companies in Clare and Kildare announced closures.

Industrial strike action has reached its lowest level since records began, the Government revealed today.

The 'prophets of doom' who predicted the closure of Shannon Airport with the major change of

Company bosses are taking steps to help talented and motivated staff balance their work and non-working lives, it was claimed today.

A major safety drive to cut farm deaths and accidents nationwide was launched today.

THE Government will launch a new farm safety drive tomorrow in a bid to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries.

The Government has approved the Labour Court's recommendations for a €1 increase in the minimum wage next year.

Budget 2007 will give a welcome boost to the small business sector and encourage greater investment in Research and Development, according to Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen.

The Labour Court recommended last night that the national minimum hourly rate of pay be increased by a euro.

An American IT company has announced plans to create 350 new jobs in the Co Clare town of Shannon.

The Government today outlined strict new rules designed to cut the number of deaths and injuries on building sites.

Work-related injury and illness is costing the Irish economy up to €3.6bn a year, according to a report published by the Government today.

INTRODUCING safety and health education into schools could make the single biggest difference to keeping the next generation safe at work, according to Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen, who addressed the awards ceremony of a pilot safety programme in schools run by the Health and Safety Authority.

A TOTAL of 73 people were killed in work-related accidents in 2005 — an increase of 25% on the previous year and the highest level of fatalities in over a decade.

There has been a massive increase in work related illnesses with 60,000 people affected in just three months, it was claimed today.

The Government is announcing changes to employment law today, which will allow workers take more time out to act as carers.

ESB workers at the Moneypoint power plant in Co Clare have decided to stage a public demonstration tomorrow morning in support of a number of sacked Polish workers.

John Breslin and Diarmaid MacDermott

Stress is becoming the biggest cause of ill health in the workplace, it was claimed today.

A million-euro redundancy payments system was launched on the internet today to ensure faster payments for those who have lost their jobs.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union has served strike notice on a lift company in the Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen's constituency.

The Government has confirmed the national minimum wage is increasing to €7.65 per hour from May 1.

An expert group is to be set up to look into ways of winning the war against workplace bullies, the Government said today.

Breaches in new safety, health and welfare at work legislation could lead to fines of up to €3m and two-year jail terms.

IRISH workers have the lowest rate of injury in the EU, a Health and Safety Authority report revealed yesterday.

Minister for Labour Affairs, Frank Fahey, today launched the second round of EQUAL funding.

MINISTERS will be warned about abusing their office for party political gain after Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday admitted two of them had recently stepped out of line.