Jobs crisis to top agenda at ICTU conference

The ongoing haemorrhaging of jobs from the Irish economy is set to top the agenda when the Irish Congress of Trade Unions holds its biennial conference in Co Kerry today.

The gathering in Tralee comes as ICTU continues to press the Government for a €1bn package of measures to tackle the jobs crisis.

It has been arguing that rising unemployment is as big a problem for the economy as the banking crisis and deserves a similarly decisive response.

Other issues up for discussion at the ICTU conference include pensions, tax, the public finances and the banking sector, as well as the ongoing strike action involving TEEU electricians.

The TEEU is seeking backing from the trade union movement for an all-out picket of sites where electricians are being denied an 11% pay increase.