The proposals on wage increases in the draft national partnership deal are probably the best that the trade union movement could have secured in the current climate, the Labour Party has said.
Enterprise spokesman Willie Penrose welcomed the conclusion of the talks between the Government and the social partners today.
The agreement proposes a pay rise of 6 per cent over 21 months, with a further ½ per cent for lower-paid workers at the end.
“It was inevitable that any agreement concluded against the background of current economic difficulties would be significantly different than agreements reached at times of economic growth,” Mr Penrose said.
“The proposals on wage increases are probably the best that the trade union movement could have secured in the current climate, but clearly for many workers it will mean that they will only stand still and will experience no real improvement in their living standards, particularly if the government fails to bring inflation under control.”
He said it was now up to each trade union and its individual members to examine the draft agreement in detail and to participate in the democratic decision making process on it.
Speaking at a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting in Limerick, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny welcomed the prospect of a new national pay deal.
But he accused the Government of having damaged the economy because of Fianna Fáil's "love affair" with the construction industry.
"There’s a bleak consistency in Fianna Fáil’s approach to vested interests. They face them down, back them up against a wall – and give them what they want.
"Other than wanting to pump the construction industry back to its old, unbalanced status, where is the plan? Where are the development ideas? There are no ideas. When it comes to creativity, to innovation, to fresh thinking, to positive thinking, this Government is bereft of any collective plan, though full of individual personal musings," Mr Kenny said.