The Communications Workers' Union has called for a substantial increase in overseas development aid to be made a key element of any national agreement to succeed Partnership 2000. The union is to raise the issue at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions conference in July.
The former general-secretary of the CWU, Mr David Begg, left the organisation to become chief executive of Concern.
His successor, Mr Con Scanlon, said at the union's conference in Waterford it was clear from the public response to the Kosovan crisis that Irish society as a whole wants our commitments on overseas development met.