Employers body calls for wage rise restraint

EMPLOYERS group IBEC has fired the opening shot in advance of the upcoming national pay talks by calling for pay restraint and ruling out local bargaining arrangements.

IBEC director general Turlough O'Sullivan said this summer's partnership discussions between employers, unions and the Government would be restricted to pay alone and that recent success in bringing down inflation meant employers would not agree to pay rises of the scale seen over the last 18 months.

The current national pay deal, Sustaining Progress, covers the 2003-2005 period but specific aspects dealing with pay increases only covered the first 18 months of the agreement.