An overwhelming vote for the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness by members of SIPTU, the State's largest union, is expected when the counting of votes concludes today.
With several other major unions, including the Irish Nurses Organisation, the Communications Workers Union, MSF, the Irish Bank Officials Association and the Public Service Executive Union endorsing the terms, it seems certain that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions special delegate conference on Thursday will support the new national agreement.
The only major unions to reject the deal so far are the Teachers Union of Ireland and the Amalgamated Transport Workers Union. Mandate is also expected to reject its terms, as could the Civil and Public Services Union.
Impact, the largest public service union, is expected to give a massive endorsement when its count concludes today.
Despite the prominence in the media of opponents of the PPF in the teachers unions, their particular concerns have not extended to the wider trade union movement. However, the ATGWU leader, Mr Mick O'Reilly, received a resounding endorsement for his stance against the PPF from members, with 94 per cent voting to reject the deal. He characterised the negotiations on the PPF at Government Buildings as a "teddy bears' picnic".
Early indications suggest the SIPTU majority for the PPF will be more than 60 per cent and could reach 70 per cent. Its general secretary, Mr John McDonnell, said last night that members had clearly "examined the proposals very carefully and accepted them. We gave a lot of time to the consultative process and they obviously made up their own minds irrespective of what they heard people in some other unions were doing."
Mr McDonnell sounded a war ning note on inflation, saying that if the ICTU conference on Thursday endorsed the PPF, he anticipated trade union leaders would seek an urgent meeting with the Government to discuss the problem. The general secretary of the IBOA, Mr Ciaran Ryan, gave a similar warning on inflation.
The IBOA majority is understood to have been about 60 per cent, significantly down on previous years.
The INO issued ballot papers without a recommendation, but 70 per cent of members voted to accept the package. This was in spite of promises of a pay review for promotional grades.
In the PSEU, the majority was 74 per cent, which its general secretary, Mr Dan Murphy, described as "a ringing endorsement of the recommendation that the executive gave members". The general secretary of the CWU, Mr Con Scanlon, said his executive had recommended acceptance.
The general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), Senator Joe O'Toole, expressed confidence last night that his union would vote in favour of the new national pay deal, writes Emmet Oliver. Mr O'Toole's comments came after an INTO branch in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, voted in favour of the deal.
A smaller branch in Athenry, Co Galway, voted against PPF by a similar margin last night.
The SIPTU regional secretary, Mr Jack O'Connor, has called on the Government to set up an employment task force for the midlands following news that the Croghan briquette factory in Co Offaly is to close.