Workers' Party delegates called for a renegotiation of the Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF) at their weekend ardfheis.
They backed an ardchomhairle motion which claimed the agreement had failed "to improve the standards of low-paid workers". Another ardchomhairle motion, declaring "The social democratic course taken by the union leadership has failed thousands of low-paid workers", was also passed.
The party's outgoing president, Mr Tom French, said: "The widespread disillusionment among trade unionists is due to the fact that the so-called PPF is, in fact, not a partnership in equal terms. Any renegotiation must ensure that this is put right and, at the same time, insist that employers are compelled to recognise the trade unions and their right to negotiate on behalf of their members."
Mr Mick Finnegan (Lucan) said that in the 1980s the party had promoted centralised bargaining, against a background of mass unemployment, emigration and cutbacks in public services.
"But times have changed. The exchequer is awash with money, employers are making massive profits and payback time has come, especially for low-paid workers. Low-paid workers are the people who built this booming economy and the Celtic Tiger," Mr Finnegan said.
Some delegates opposed a Cork South Central motion condemning "the move towards industrial relations by PR, which was starkly illustrated in the recent dispute in Iarnrod Eireann, when the company spent thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on a publicity smear campaign against the workers and their representative trade union, the Irish Locomotive Drivers' Association".
Mr John Jefferies (Cork South Central) said that in the locomotive drivers' dispute, "a State company, owned by the taxpayers, spent several hundred thousand pounds running a smear campaign against workers".
Mr John Dunne (Ballymun) sought to have the motion amended, omitting the reference to ILDA, while Mr Jim Jordan (Lucan) said: "We have to be very careful. The majority of train-drivers were not represented by ILDA . . . This party should not be seen to be taking sides in this kind of dispute."
The motion was passed on a show of hands.
Delegates strongly criticised the quality of the health services. Mr Owen Martin (Finglas) said: "Despite the fact that the Government is up to its ears in money, we have our own dedicated nurses leaving the profession, entire wards are either closed or handed over to private consultants, while in the public wards people are lying on trolleys for hours, not to mention those people in pain who can only dream of getting a bed, or a trolley, or medical attention.
"Bertie Ahern once worked in the Mater Hospital, where I work. It is about time he returned to see what the Government's policies have done to the hospital and to every other public hospital in Ireland."
