Thousands of workers protested yesterday in cities and major towns over redundancy payment levels, but employers dismissed the event as a "dismal failure".
In Dublin, some 3,500 workers marched to the gates of Dáil Éireann for a rally which union leaders warned would be "the first of many" unless their demands were met.
The march, which caused minor disruption to city centre traffic, was led by former workers at the Irish Glass Bottle Company in Dublin, and Peerless Rugs in Athy, who are in dispute over redundancy payments. Both companies refused to pay amounts recommended by the Labour Court.
More than 1,000 people demonstrated in Waterford, and about 500 in both Cork and Limerick.
The event led to bitter exchanges between the unions and the employers' body, IBEC, as both sides continued to talk tough in advance of a new round of social partnership talks.
Senator Joe O'Toole, the president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), claimed IBEC was trying to undermine the unions "at every hand's turn".
"To be quite honest with you I think at times it would be easier to do business with the Sopranos than it would be with IBEC," he said to cheers from the crowd which filled Molesworth Street.
IBEC underlined the worsening relationship between both sides by saying in a statement that only 9,000 workers had attended the "so-called day of protest".
Mr Brendan McGinty, the organisation's director of industrial relations, said the four unions that organised the event - SIPTU, UCATT, BATU and the TEEU - had claimed "to have the call on" more than 250,000 members.
"It is, therefore, evident that the protest has been a dismal failure and the majority of workers have rejected the trade union efforts to undermine jobs at a time when business has been calling for jobs to be protected." Union leaders, however, expressed delight that so many had turned out in support of a cause which did not directly affect themselves.
Mr Mick Duffy, a shop steward at Irish Glass Bottle and spokesman for the workers there, said yesterday was the proudest day of his life.
"Most of you don't even know the people you are supporting. But you are here because of the old saying, 'hit one of us and you hit the whole lot of us'."
The unions are demanding a reform of the legislation dealing with statutory redundancy, which has not been changed for 35 years.
Instead of half a week's pay per year of service for time worked up to the age of 41, and one week's pay for each year after that, they want three weeks' pay per year of service regardless of age. A review group set up by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, earlier this year to examine the issue, which included representatives of ICTU and IBEC, failed to reach agreement.
The Government, which wants the issue dealt with as part of the social partnership talks, said yesterday's protest was "particularly regrettable" given that the talks were imminent.
Disruption to transport services was less serious than had been feared. Dublin Bus workers supported the event in large numbers and only about 50 per cent of services operated yesterday afternoon.
Most workers had returned to their jobs by 5 p.m..
Iarnród Éireann suffered minimal disruption. Only four DART services - two in each direction - were cancelled, while mainline trains were not affected.
No Bus Éireann services were hit, said a company spokeswoman.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association said the protests were "ill-conceived, inappropriate and irresponsible".
The protests were supported by the Labour Party leader Mr Ruairí Quinn, who attended the Dublin rally.
