The leader of the country’s largest trade union Siptu last night defended compromises the union’s national executive council has made with Government austerity policies – saying he was not prepared to “lead people out to slaughter”.

Jack O’Connor was responding to criticism of the union leadership’s decisions from some delegates at Siptu’s biennial delegate conference at the Mansion House in Dublin.

On Monday night, he launched a strong defence of Labour.

He said the party was "battling at the very gates of hell, outnumbered by more than two to one and against the background of the straitjacket of the troika agreement".

Simplistic
He added he did not subscribe to the "simplistic" view that "it was all Labour's fault".

Last night, delegate Marnie Holborow said: "How can we condemn austerity, and fully – as Jack [O'Connor] has done – support Labour.
"Jack has said Labour in power stops Fine Gael doing worse. Would Fine Gael have been able to get away with it without Labour?"