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If an employer refuses to recognise a trade union, then the union can initially apply to the Labour Relations Commision for a non binding resolution and subsequenetly to the Labour Court for a binding resolution forcing the employer to recognise the union. My experience of the latter is that it can take a number of years to get such a binding resolution. Note as well before you can get such a determination, the employees must have exhausted the companies internal dispute resolution procedures (if they have any)
However the Ryanair saga (Ryanair took such a labour Court decision to the Supreme Court in 2007 and won) has placed a question mark over such Labour Court decisions.
At the end of the day, most employers end up accepting the LRC or LC decision on grounds of cost.