It appears, subject to union approval, that we have a successor to Partnership 2000. That unions will approve it, given the track records of such votes, seems something akin to a formality despite some of the posturing during the week.

Quite what it will do for competitiveness is another thing. Pay rises of 15 per over less than three years when the Government envisages inflation peaking at 3 per cent this year and falling seem generous as well as inflationary. Of more concern is the catch-up process going on in areas of the public service. Teachers and other civil servants are to receive a payment of 3 per cent to "compensate" for failing to agree better deals under local bargaining in the previous agreement. Such a provision is dependent, apparently, on unions agreeing to a change in how pay rises are set to allow performance to be benchmarked against the private sector.

That is something of a leap of faith. Successive agreements have served only to increase the burden of public sector pay for very little return despite several attempts to address the problem. Public service security should carry a price which it clearly does not. The reality was illustrated by the haste with which IMPACT, the largest public service union, asserted that it would be recommending a yes vote from its members.