WORKERS are putting their trade unions on notice that Partnership 2000 will be judged on its performance, a senior member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has warned.
A member of the ICTU general purposes committee, Mr David Begg, said last night that the new agreement must deliver on union recognition and partnership in the workplace if it is to survive.
He was commenting on the likelihood that Partnership 2000 will be passed by a much smaller majority at today's special ICTU conference than its predecessor, the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. Mr Begg's Communications Workers Union voted by more than two to one for Partnership 2000.
It was no longer enough for employers and governments to be offering pay rises and the prospects of economic growth to win acceptance of national agreements Mr Begg said.
The vice president of SIPTU Mr Jimmy Somers, had a similar message. His members are understood to have eventually accepted Partnership 2000 by around 65,000 votes to 55,000.
Mr Somers said the high turnout in SIPTU, 20 per cent up on the PCW poll, showed that members were becoming more involved in the union.
The close result "sends a clear message to employers and the Government that every aspect of this deal will have to be delivered in full at plant and local level. Future acceptance of this type of pay arrangement can no longer be assumed," he said.
It is now expected that there will be a majority of at least 60 votes for Partnership 2000 at today's conference.
One of the surprise results yesterday was the 60 per cent Yes vote from the Civil and Public Service Union.
Its members were involved in a 10 week work to rule over restructuring under the PCW last year. It had been thought that the failure to conclude an agreement might result in a No vote, as happened with the secondary teachers' unions, especially as the union executive could not agree to recommend Partnership 2000.
The CPSU general secretary, Mr John O'Dowd, said last night, "I'm pleased with the result and we will be voting in favour tomorrow. Our members can be very militant but it is clear from the vote that they are able to separated Partnership 2000 from the unfinished business under the PCW and assess it on its merits."
The biggest vote against Partnership 2000 was registered by the shop workers' union, Mandate. Ninety five per cent of members voted No, in support of an executive recommendation.
The Irish Business and Employers Confederation endorsed the new agreement yesterday. Its national executive council, which represents 5,000 employers, said it gave reasonable pay increases while protecting the competitiveness of industry.
An endorsement also came from the Community Platform, which represents a number of groups in the "social pillar".