Brexit must not be used as a pretext to dismantle workers’ rights, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has warned. In a Brexit update published late last month, ICTU called on the Irish and UK governments to “make a public declaration that no existing rights or protections will be lost or eroded as a result of Brexit.”

The document, Brexit: time to rethink the key issues, also calls on the Irish Government to establish an early warning system and training fund to help workers in sectors where jobs are vulnerable because of the proposed UK exit from Europe. In proposals that echo those made at a joint IMPACT-Siptu seminar earlier this year, ICTU calls on the EU to make similar funding available.

And it argues that unions and employers should be centrally involved in preparations for Brexit.

The Congress update calls for the continued free movement of people on the island of Ireland, and says it would be best if the UK remained in both the customs union and single market if Brexit goes ahead. It notes that the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland is now high on the EU agenda in Brexit talks.