Delegates at the ICTU conference have supported a call by the relief agency, Concern, to make an increase in the percentage of GNP for overseas aid part of any new national agreement to succeed Partnership 2000.
They were responding to an appeal by the chief executive of Concern, Mr David Begg, a former general secretary of the Communications Workers' Union.
Mr Begg said that significantly increasing overseas aid would be an appropriate way of celebrating the millennium and acknowledging the scale of our good fortune and recent economic success.
"The current level of Irish aid stands at approximately 0.31 per cent of GNP," he said. "This is a far cry from the original target of 0.7 per cent."
Delegates agreed to seek a commitment from the Government to increase aid to 0.45 per cent of GNP by 2002.
They also passed an emergency motion unanimously condemning an attack by masked men on MANDATE members on picket duty outside Johnny Fox's pub in the Dublin mountains on Tuesday night.
MANDATE says the dispute is primarily over union recognition. An appeal for funds was made, and the Irish Bank Officials' Association said it would pledge £1,000 to help start a collection.