MINISTER FOR Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan said that flexibility within the workplace should be the key message to emerge out of the forthcoming partnership negotiations between the social partners.
She said that any new partnership deal would need to strike a fair balance between the needs of employers and workers but emphasised that flexibility, competitiveness and productivity were all hugely important.
Ms Coughlan said she did not want to be prescriptive at this stage and expressed no view on whether or not a pay pause would be appropriate.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, she pointed out that employers would not be averse to a pause, while unions would oppose it.
"I think we have to get a few key messages out there: that we still will have our flexibilities within the workplace; that we have people of the highest calibre with particular skills; that can be flexible.
"My key message is that competitiveness has to be the hallmark and the background of any decisions we make. And productivity is going to be part of that as well.
"I'm not saying I have no good news for unions and it's more for employers."
Ms Coughlan said that the focus needs to be on those who were most vulnerable, those low-income families who were having difficulties meeting shopping and utility bills.
"I don't want to see a situation where everybody from this part of the world does their shopping in Northern Ireland because it's better value for money and people here will lose their jobs," she said.
The partnership talks are continuing this week.
