Different hopes for talks on public pay deal

When the negotiators enter talks on a new public service pay deal on Monday, the unions and management will clearly have very different aspirations for what the outcome will be a fortnight later, writes Stephen Rogers.

The Government will want to restrict the severity of the hit to the State’s bank balance, while the unions will be anxious to get the maximum compensation possible for the sacrifices their members made.

However, what is becoming increasingly clear, is there is also a significant difference in expectations within the union side.