The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) will today convene talks by affiliated unions to discuss negotiations on a new partnership agreement.
A spokesman for Ictu said last night that the meeting would provide an opportunity for senior officials of affiliated unions to set out their priorities in the event of talks starting on a new partnership.
Senior officials of affiliated unions will also be given details of contacts between congress and the Government on a new deal.
The country's largest union, Siptu, is to hold a special delegate conference on Tuesday to consider whether to enter new talks on a successor to the Sustaining Progress agreement.
Earlier this month the union's national executive decided to back the opening of talks.
It is expected that the special delegate conference will ratify the decision of the national executive.
That should open the way for the Ictu to formally accept a Government invitation to enter talks on a new national agreement.
The talks were due to begin two months ago but have been delayed because of trade union concerns about exploitation of migrant workers and the displacement of jobs.
While Ibec, the employers' body, says it is willing to engage on these issues, it remains far from clear that an agreement can be achieved.
Unions are expected to seek a range of measures to underpin employment standards before negotiations begin on pay rates for the duration of any new deal.
Ictu president Peter McLoone said this month that trade union members were concerned that after 18 years of social partnership it was possible for companies to displace existing workers and to seek to exploit others.
While employers are believed to have no difficulty in addressing employment standards, they are expected to oppose any measures in this area which would impinge on Ireland's competitiveness or damage its attractiveness to inward investors.
