Name: Jack O'Connor.

Age: 43.

Why he's in the news: He is the new vice-president of SIPTU with special responsibility for industrial relations.

Background: The son of an agricultural labourer in Lusk, Co Dublin, he left the CBS in Swords at 15 to work full time. He joined the Agricultural Labourers Union at 16 and was a shop steward at 18. He became a branch secretary of the Federated Workers Union of Ireland at 23 and, when the FWUI amalgamated with the Irish Transport and General Workers Union to form SIPTU in 1990, he was appointed a regional secretary.

He successfully proposed an 18 per cent reduction in the salaries of SIPTU's general officers and a reduction in the number of regional secretaries three years ago to provide extra staff to service members.

Family: He lives in Naas, Co Kildare, with his wife Paula. They have three children, Michael (14), Emer (12) and Claire (three).