TRADE UNIONS are understood to have told the Government that its moves to improve employment protection measures in the recent Budget were insufficient.
It is understood that at talks on a new social partnership agreement for economic recovery yesterday, union representatives maintained the Government did not appear to comprehend the scale of the unemployment problem.
Sources said that the unions again pressed for a €1 billion investment in job-protection measures, including the adoption of models used in Denmark and Holland.
It is understood that the issue of the closure of the SR Technics aircraft maintenance company was raised by the unions in talks with Government representatives yesterday, as was the proposed national jobs summit which was set out in the framework document agreement by Government, unions and employers in January .
Sources said last night that the Government had not put forward proposals on the table as of yet.
It is understood that some unions are looking for a sign by the end of next week that concrete solutions will emerge in relation to difficulties facing private sector pension schemes.
Union leaders also believe the threatened job losses among potentially thousands of temporary staff in the Health Service Executive (HSE) under a controversial cost-saving plan proposed earlier this week could cause difficulties in the current talks.
Unions and HSE management are to meet again on this issue on Monday.
