The ICTU Executive is to meet tomorrow to decide on a day of protest in the Irish Ferries dispute.
All four of the company's vessels are now out of commission due to the escalating row.
As a result, 30% of freight capacity in and out of Ireland has been eliminated, causing major headaches for the business community in the run up to Christmas.
Hauliers describe the strike as a disaster potentially costing the country millions for each day it continues.
Both sides in the dispute had separate exploratory talks with officials at the Labour Relations Commission today.
It is understood that the commission is still trying to frame a proposal and is unlikely to contact the parties before tomorrow.
The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, said this afternoon that if all sides in the dispute did not see sense, there would be no company left.
Speaking in Cork, the former Minister for Trade and Enterprise called on all sides to stand back from the brink.
She appealed to the company to use the industrial relations mechanisms of the State to bring about a resolution to the dispute.
She added she was concerned the dispute could have repercussions for the country.
The Attorney General, Rory Brady, is reviewing the Irish Ferries application to remove its ships from the Irish register.
Meanwhile, private sector unions were preparing for a meeting on the issue in Dublin this evening.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said he believes the dispute at Irish Ferries can be resolved if the parties use the institutions available to them.
Speaking in Barcelona where he was attending an EU summit, Mr Ahern also said that far more difficult issues had been resolved in the past using partnership mechanisms.
The dispute centres on plans by the company to replace Irish staff with cheaper agency workers from overseas.
Eamon Devoy of the Technical, Engineering & Electrical Union described the behaviour of Irish Ferries management as disgraceful.
He said it appeared that the Government was unable or unwilling to protect the rights of workers.
200 passengers on the Irish Ferries vessel, MV Normandy, who were caught up in the dispute, disembarked in Dublin late last night after being diverted from Rosslare, where the ship was refused permission to dock.
The vessel, which left Cherbourg in France on Saturday night, was not permitted to dock at Rosslare after SIPTU workers there refused to handle the ship.
The Dublin Port Company says it facilitated a request for the ship to berth on humanitarian grounds.
Two other Irish Ferries ships remain in the Welsh ports of Pembroke and Holyhead in a stand-off by staff that began five days ago.
