Almost half of employers inspected by a state watchdog after the first lockdown were found to be in breach of Covid-19 guidelines.
The Health and Safety Authority has carried out over 5,000 inspections since last May.
According to the Irish Independent, 47 per cent of employers inspected did not have proper measures in place to stop the virus spreading.
Greg Ennis, from trade union Siptu, said the new figures are unsurprising.
“I will say that certain sectors do their work really well with regard to health and safety,” he said.
“But unfortunately, the sectors that were deemed so essential by the Government and so essential by the employers, such as the meat industry, they do not recognise that essentially in pay terms and conditions.
“They are directly related to what I believe are dangerous conditions in the workplace,” he said.
