The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has today (July 1st) launched a ground-breaking "New Economic Model" designed to reshape Ireland's economic future in response to mounting global challenges.
Launching the proposals at ICTU's Biennial Delegate Conference in Belfast, General Secretary Owen Reidy said now is the time for Ireland to end its overreliance on windfall corporate tax receipts, and build a stronger, more resilient economy that delivers for workers.
More than 600 union representatives from across the island are participating in the three-day conference, alongside international speakers including Liz Shuler (AFL-CIO), Paul Nowak (Trade Union Congress), Esther Lynch (ETUC) and renowned Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti.
The New Economic Model, developed by the Nevin Economic Research Institute, sets out a vision for Ireland based on four pillars: a productive economy, quality employment, economic security, and economic resilience. The plan would see government investing in strategic infrastructure, backing collective bargaining, and supporting domestic enterprise.
Speaking ahead of the conference, General Secretary Owen Reidy said:
“Everyone wants to see a strong economy, with good, well-paid jobs. Yet in the face of global challenges and changing economic environment, we hear the same old calls for cuts to wages and threats to workers’ rights.
“Now is the time to decide what we want our future to look like. We cannot continue with the same risky overreliance on corporation tax receipts. Our New Economic Model sets out a clear framework for a productive, stable, and supportive economy, one that places workers at the heart of economic resilience.
"Congress as the representative voice of workers on the island of Ireland has developed this New Economic Model in conjunction with NERI as our serious contribution to the debate about how we want our society to look and what type of economy we aspire to for our children and grandchildren. We intend to relentlessly promote and popularise this progressive vision of how this island can and should be over the next number of years and beyond.
“Support for collective bargaining, valuing care, and investing in infrastructure: these aren’t just good for workers and families, they support the wider economy as well. With the New Economic Model, we’re demonstrating a clear vision of the future.”
Notes to Editors
The New Economic Model was prepared by Tom McDonnell, Paul Mac Flynn, Michael Taft and Seán Ó Riain at the Nevin Economic Research Institute on behalf of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The full document is available at the following link:
https://www.ictu.ie/sites/default/files/publications/2025/NERI%20ICTU%20NEM%20Pamphlet.pdf
The Biennial Delegate Conference is taking place from the 1st-3rd July in Belfast. The BDC is the main decision-making forum of the trade union movement in Ireland. A full agenda for the conference can be found here:
https://www.ictu.ie/publications/biennial-delegate-conference-2025-agenda
