A major new trade union was created today with the merger of Amicus and the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU).
Named Unite, the union claims it will have some two million members in Ireland and Britain, covering sectors such as transport, manufacturing, aviation, food and farming, and the financial sector.
ATGWU regional secretary in Ireland Mick O'Reilly said the new union will be "progressive and organising" and would "fight back" against the focus on "industrial giants".
He said the new union will be committed to organising workers and that, within three years, 10 per cent of its income will be spent in this way. "The new union will be committed in its opposition to propping up a right-wing government in the Republic," Mr O'Reilly added.
In the North, the union said it would support the establishment of the new institutions, when devolved government recommences next week.
The union said it is already making moves towards what it called a "global super union", examining a possibler merger with United Steelworkers (USW) in the United States.
Unite and the USW will hold exploratory talks that "will engage in co-ordinated campaigning and common approaches to collective bargain with multinational companies", the union said.