The State's second-largest union, the ATWGU, is expected to call for a special conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to consider withdrawal from Partnership 2000. This follows the failure of the Government's High-Level Group on Union Recognition to recommend legal sanctions for companies that do not recognise unions.
The ATGWU's senior officer in Ireland, Mr Mick O'Reilly, said the group's report, details of which were published in The Irish Times yesterday, was "a wretched document that totally fails to provide the trade union movement with what it needs. I believe we should look for a special conference of Congress to review participation in Partnership 2000."
Most ATGWU members are in the private sector, where union recognition is a major concern.