A new basic wage of £5 an hour was agreed yesterday for 10,000 contract cleaners in Dublin.
The agreement applies only to workers in the capital, but it is expected to be reflected in a similar agreement in the coming months for a further 15,000 contract cleaners in the rest of the State.
The proposal for Dublin workers is expected to take effect from June 1st or April 1st (if a national minimum wage is introduced at that stage). The Labour Court has already heard a similar case on behalf of workers outside Dublin and there is an agreement to introduce the £5 rate, the industrial official of SIPTU's women workers' branch, Mr John King, said.