Ictu meeting discusses new agreement issues

Senior trade union officials have attended a meeting organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) to discuss issues surrounding negotiations on a new partnership agreement.

Yesterday's meeting involved briefings on economic outlook and on contacts between Ictu and the Government on a possible successor deal to Sustaining Progress.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the leaders of unions affiliated to Congress to set out their priorities in the event of talks on a new partnership agreement beginning.

No statement was issued after the meeting. A decision on whether Ictu will enter talks on a new national agreement is likely to be taken soon. The State's largest union, Siptu, is to hold a special delegate conference next Tuesday on whether to enter talks.

This is expected to ratify a decision of the union's national executive to back the opening of negotiations. Talks had been delayed because of trade union concerns about exploitation of migrant workers and the displacement of jobs.