Siptu holds off on national pay deal decision

The executive of the State's largest trade union Siptu has postponed a decesion on whether or not to recommend the national pay…

The executive of the State's largest trade union Siptu has postponed a decesion on whether or not to recommend the national pay deal to its members around the country.

The National Executive Council will meet in Liberty Hall Dublin at 2.30pm to take the decision.

Approximately 250,000 Siptu members will be eligible to vote in a ballot that begins tomorrow and concludes on November 6th.

On Monday, the Siptu leadership signalled to its shop stewards, officials and activists that the proposed new national pay agreement, although not perfect, represented the best available deal that could be negotiated.

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Addressing a special delegate conference on the proposed agreement, Siptu president Jack O'Connor said he was "absolutely convinced that nothing had been left at the table and that there was nothing to be gained by going back for further negotiations.

"We could, of course, be wrong. But every morsel of our being as experienced negotiators tell us that there is nothing left over there, and there is nothing left to be gained by going back there", he said.

However, critics of the proposed agreement - which offers increases of 6 per cent over 21 months - described it "as the worst partnership deal ever".