The Mandate union representing shop and bar workers, wants a total ban on smoking in the workplace.
Delegates at the union's biennial conference in Tralee have passed an emergency motion calling on the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, to introduce a statutory ban after members heard that up to 150 bar workers a year die due to passive smoking.
The union yesterday urged the Government to treat the tobacco smoke in licensed premises as a major public health hazard.
Besides a greatly increased danger of lung cancer and heart disease, bar staff had an 82 per cent higher risk of suffering a stroke.