Some 65 times more work days were lost due to illness when compared to strike last year, a study by the State's largest union, SIPTU, revealed today.
The figures show over that 1.4 million workdays lost were due to ill-health or work-related injury while strikes accounted for 21,259 lost days.
The union's general secretary, Mr Joe O'Flynn said if the figures revealed the opposite there would be an outcry from Government and employers.
"It seems that when it comes to workers being seriously injured or killed at work — through negligence by the employer, the silence is deafening," Mr O'Flynn said.
SIPTU's figures show that between 1989 and 2002, 809 workers were killed in work-related accidents but Mr O'Flynn said the real figure is much higher.
He said people killed on the roads while going about their work was not considered a work-related death.
Around 300 cancer deaths can also be attributed to workplace conditions, he added, calling on the Government to put a new system in place that ensures health and safety regulations are strictly adhered to by all employers in all workplaces.
Mr O'Flynn also expressed disappointment at derogations from the workplace smoking ban due to come in to force next year.
"Why should workers in hotels, guest houses, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, prisons etc., be any more exposed or deemed any less worthy of protection than those working in factories, restaurants and offices?"