IBEC, the employers confederation, came in for some harsh criticism at a gathering of trade union members outside Leinster House today.
Gardaí estimated that around 4,000 trade union members marched the streets of Dublin today as part of a nationwide protest against the statutory redundancy payment of half-a-week per year of service.
The marchers were addressed by trade union leaders and Senator Joe O'Toole at Molesworth Street, in front of Leinster House.
"It's easier doing business with the Soprano's than it is with IBEC," said Senator O'Toole.
Referring to the forthcoming round of Partnership, Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) negotiations, Senator O'Toole said: "How can we be partners with people who are exploiting our members, while, at the same time overcharging them in the shops".
He added that people had to endure traffic congestion caused by commuting because members of IBEC were "sitting on land waiting for the price to go up".
The Senator told IBEC to "pull its members into line" to accept Labour Court recommendations on redundancy payments.
SIPTU president, Mr Des Geraghty, told the crowd that Irish workers had today sent a signal which he hoped was well taken by IBEC.
"There is a nerve of solidarity that extends through our movement. We will be back here again and again till our message is heard," he told the crowd.
It was also pointed out tuch had been made in the media about the disruption to the city the march would cause. It was clearly a sore point with the unions.
Senator Joe O'Toole told the gathering that when traffic returned to normal tomorrow, the workers of the Irish Glass Bottle Company, Peerless Rugs and Roscommon Precision Castings would still be without jobs.
Starting at Smithfield, in north inner-city Dublin, the march snaked it's way down O'Connell Street and D'Olier Street, around College Green and Nassau Street before travelling up Dawson Street and then turning onto Molesworth Street.
Demonstrations of solidarity were also held at several places around the country.