Private sector unions are to seek flat-rate increases of around €30 per week for workers earning less than the average industrial wage of €38,000.
The move forms part of new guidelines which were adopted today for unions lodging claims with companies in the aftermath of the collapse of talks on a new national pay deal.
At a press conference today the chairman of the private sector committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Jerry Shanahan of the Unite union, said that there were 1.4 million workers earning less than the average industrial wage, according to recent official Government figures. Some of these employees would be working less than a full week, he said.
For workers who are above the average industrial earnings threshold, unions are to seek increases that match inflation, which is currently running at around five per cent.
However, in companies which are considered to be profitable, unions will seek higher increases under the new guidelines.
Siptu president Jack O'Connor said that unions were not planning for a "phoney war" designed to bring about a result in September. He said that unions were planning for a long campaign across the private sector.
He also said that there was a view developing in the private sector unions that while they were not opposed to engaging in talks, they had to be prepared for the reality that 21 years of social partnership is over.
"We have to prepare our claims in such a way that they are pursued to fruition", he said.
