Pensioners of the collapsed MG Rover Group look set to be bailed out by the British government’s new Pension Protection Fund, it emerged today.

The pensions of thousands of workers facing redundancy at car giant MG Rover will be protected thanks to new measures which only came into force on Wednesday, experts said today.

AER Lingus said last night it expects to provide service today for 20,000 passengers who are booked on 200 flights following the lifting of a threatened 24-hour strike by cabin crew.

The ATGWU is advising its 20,000 Irish members to reject the Government's latest pay offer.

Cabinet ministers have finished a special meeting held today. It was expected that the recent estimates announced would be part of the agenda today, however it has been confirmed they were not mentioned.

THE Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association leader called yesterday for a wage freeze in the food processing sector so that farmer incomes can recover.

A leading farming organisation is calling for a wage freeze in the food processing sector.

SALARIES for the country’s chief executives range from €85,000 to €268,000 and beyond.

The National Teachers' Organisation is warning the Government that its members will not tolerate the indefinite postponement of benchmarking payments.

IRELAND cannot continue to demand infrastructure and services comparable with other EU countries without being prepared to endure a bigger tax take, the country’s religious have warned.

THE Irish Business and Employers Confederation has warned that the country is in danger of going into a vicious inflationary spiral that could cause long-term damage to its potential growth rate.

The living standards of the poorest members of society must be protected in any agreement to succeed the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

The ICTU is insisting that the payment of benchmarking awards this year and next, has not been ruled out by Government.

The decision by the Government to appoint a group of three experts to scrutinise projected expenditure will inevitably bring the cynical reaction that it is a handwashing exercise in anticipation of public outcry at the present and future cuts in public spending.

The Conference of Religious in Ireland has called for the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness to be replaced with a new national agreement to address the widening gap between rich and poor.

Unions have been warned to prepare for a battle over pay demands.

The National Implementation Body is asking striking care workers to call off their action, pending further Labour Court negotiations.

Macra na Feirme president Seamus Phelan said the Taoiseach must proceed with the Government's undertaking to introduce tax relief for the purchase of milk quota at today's meeting of the social partners and the Government on the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.

The Economic and Social Research Institute has called for more flexible pay deals between the social partners.

The ASTI has written to the Taoiseach asking for direct talks with the Government to try and prevent their planned industrial action.

Fine Gael has warned that major infrastructural development is under threat from the construction workers' strikes.

A meeting of groups opposed to the social partnership takes place in Dublin this morning to discuss what they call the inequalities of the Celtic Tiger.

The 13,000-strong Civil and Public Service Union is to begin balloting its members on withdrawal from the national wage agreement.

The Government has authorized pay rises in the upper levels of the public service which average at 12%.