NATIONAL pay talks are finally set to kick off in earnest this week — more than six months after they were first scheduled to start.

EMPLOYERS and unions have finally begun to engage substantively for the first time after a full month of zero progress in talks on a new national deal.

UNION members from across the EU converged on Strasbourg yesterday to protest at the Services Directive, which proposes to liberalise the European services market.

NEGOTIATIONS on a new national agreement have finally been given the go-ahead after three months of uncertainty as SIPTU yesterday formally agreed to participate.