The incoming general secretary of Impact, the country's largest public service union, has criticised attempts by political groups to influence internal decision making at its biennial conference in Kilkenny.
Shay Cody said that just as it would be unacceptable for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Labour Party to influence internal decisions, it was equally unacceptable "for the Social Workers Party or any other micro organisation to do the same in this very hall".
He said Impact was an influential union that was "resistant to manipulation by those who seek to manipulate and capture our organisation for narrow politically sectarian ends".
Mr Cody was endorsed by the conference to succeed Peter McLoone when he retires as general secretary of the union later in the summer.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Cody said Impact's immediate industrial relations priority was to reach agreement with employers "that will halt the slide and commence the process of getting our money back".
"This applies not just to the public service but to our members in Aer Lingus, Eircom, in the Dublin Airport Authority, and in the community and voluntary sectors".
In his address, Mr Cody said a new internal commission on trade union organisation, which has been established by the trade union movement, must address the fact there are too many trade unions around the country. He said many small ones were "underesourced, financially weak and unable to defend their members in an adequate fashion".
In his address to the conference, Mr McLoone said the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, "must get up off his backside" and get all key public service management together as their current approach to reform was not working. He said Mr Cowen must insist it was management's responsibility to provide leadership at all levels and to fully involved their staff as legitimate participants.
"And I put the politicians and management on notice that willing public servants will not be the fall guys for your failure to implement the letter and spirit of the Croke Park deal if it is accepted by Impact and other unions in ballots now under way."
