Early issues discussed as the congress included the campaigns for an eight-hour day, for manhood suffrage, and for improvements to pay and conditions.

This and three other proposals were discussed at the 1939 conference, but O'Brien and his supporters walked out and formed the Advisory Council of Irish Unions.

This comprised eighteen unions based in Ireland, and accounted for about half the ITUC membership.

[4] The Advisory Council cut ties with the ITUC in 1945 and formed the Congress of Irish Unions.

[4] After long negotiations, the two organisations reunited in 1959 to form the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.