THE GOVERNMENT and trade unions have clashed over who is responsible for a lack of progress in talks on a new national pay deal.
The move comes amid bitter argument between employers and unions over a proposed pay pause for 300,000 public servants and ahead of a scheduled resumption of intensive negotiations between the social partners next week.
Negotiations on the next phase of the social partnership agreement have been under way since late April.
However, the general secretary of Impact, the country's largest public-sector union, said yesterday that two months after the talks had begun, "we have very little progress to report".
Peter McLoone said the Government had understandably been preoccupied with the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and its aftermath.
A Government spokesman said, however, that it was simply not true to say there had been a lack of engagement by the Government in the partnership talks. He said extensive discussions, both formal and informal, had been taking place, involving Ministers and officials, on a long and complex agenda.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen also rejected suggestions the Government was neglecting the pay talks, telling reporters yesterday: "We're keeping many eyes on the ball at the same time, with respect."
He said non-pay issues had been discussed for the last number of weeks, adding: "It has always been the case in the past where a political input at political level is brought to the process at the appropriate time and we will be mindful of that."
In a speech to a conference on partnership in Dublin yesterday, Mr McLoone said that what the trade union movement required was "a clear political signal that the Government wants to see social partnership continue - and that means real engagement in the current talks".
The parties, which have held a series of bilateral meetings over the last fortnight, are expected to hold intensive talks on employment rights and pay on Monday and Wednesday of next week.
However, the talks could be overshadowed by new exchequer figures due next week and the "relatively painful" cutbacks in public expenditure signalled by the Taoiseach on Wednesday night.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr McLoone said calls by employers' group Ibec for a pay freeze in the public service "made no sense".
"What we are trying to do at the moment is to engage in the negotiations to establish whether we will have a successor to the current national agreement or not."
Mr McLoone said there was a need for the Government to engage with the social partners and to set out its analysis of the economic situation.
Asked about signals given by the Taoiseach that cutbacks were on the way, Mr McLoone said: "If we are trying to put together a framework in which we would all work together, then you can't simply impose measures like that.
"If the Government is going to take those kind of measures then it is effectively saying that we are going to do that outside of the social partnership framework and then we are left to react to that in whatever way that we can."
Mr Cowen said the social partnership talks were the appropriate forum to consider the issue of cancelling proposed ministerial pay rises.
Asked if there was any question of cancelling the pay rises as a gesture of restraint and in order to send out a signal to the unions, Mr Cowen said: "First of all, if I may make the point that we haven't taken the pay rise. We didn't take it. It was a pay pause for a year, and I have said since then, since taking office, that the social partnership talks are the appropriate forum, where we can all demonstrate our ability to make whatever contribution is necessary to assist a successful conclusion of those negotiations."
The Taoiseach was asked about his remarks on the need to take measures to deal with the economic situation and whether he had a pay freeze for public-sector workers in mind.
Mr Cowen replied: "We have a process of negotiation that takes place quite rightly across the table rather than across the airwaves, for obvious reasons, and I think that's the best place in which to conduct our discussions."