New figures show that trade union membership is continuing to fall, and union members now account for just over 30% of employees.
The Central Statistics Office said 31.5% of workers were members of a union in the second quarter of 2007, continuing a downward trend which began in 2003.
34.6% of full-time workers claimed union membership, but only 19% of part-time employees were union members.
The CSO figures show that the highest level of union membership, 79%, was in the 'public administration and defence' category. This compares with rates of 8% in 'hotels and restaurants' and 'agriculture, forestry and fishing'.
The health and construction sectors showed the biggest falls over the last couple of years.
