A SIPTU bank account at the centre of a number of investigations was used to fund six trips to New York by a Department of Finance official who had a key role in industrial relations issues.

THE public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has voted by a two-to-one majority to accept the terms of the Croke Park deal on public service pay and reform.

THE biennial conference of IMPACT trade union has backed the Croke Park deal on public service pay and reform despite a number of delegates criticising those who negotiated its terms.

Delegates at IMPACT's biennial conference in Kilkenny have rejected a motion calling for a "no" vote on the Croke Park public sector pay deal.

The outgoing leader of IMPACT Peter McLoone has said the Taoiseach must "get off his backside" to help deliver a truely integrated public sector.

Shay Cody has been ratified as the new general secretary of the country's largest public sector union at IMPACT's biennial conference in Kilkenny.

Shay Cody will be ratified as IMPACT's new general secretary at the union's biennial conference in Kilkenny today.

THE leadership of the country’s largest solely public service union will this morning be grilled by its own members over the backing it has given to the Croke Park deal on public service pay and reform.

THE GAA may have welcomed rugby and soccer to its hallowed headquarters, but the Croke Park deal more closely resembles a boxing match with the opponents repeatedly falling and picking themselves up.

THE Croke Park accord is apparently heading up a cul de sac. Key public sector unions are coming out against the revised pay deal.

THE Croke Park accord is apparently heading up a cul de sac. Key public sector unions are coming out against the revised pay deal.

A senior IMPACT official is denying they failed their members in the Croke Park deal on pay and reform in the public sector.

IMPACT members are to be balloted on the new public sector pay deal, after the union's executive recommended its rejection last night.

THE public service pay agreement is on the verge of collapse after the executive of the country’s largest solely public service union refused to back it.

The Executive of the IMAPCT union meets later to discuss the deal on pay and reform in the public service.

WITH a second teaching union pushing for the public service pay deal to be voted down, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has warned it is the best that can be achieved through negotiation and full and disruptive strikes are the only alternative.

Public sector workers were tonight considering a new pay and reform deal brokered after two weeks of intense talks between unions and management.

Trade union Impact has said it would decide whether to recommend the public sector pay deal on April 8, it has emerged.

The poorest members of society will be forced in to destitution if staff in social welfare offices go on strike, it was claimed today.

PUBLIC service industrial action will continue next week as union leaders meet government officials in an attempt to broker a deal on pay cuts and changes to working practices.

YOUR editorial headlined ‘Public sector action — Recovery threatened by strikes’ (March 9) quotes Peter McLoone as saying “everything had to be on the agenda in any talks”. While I agree, this must also include an awareness of a number of harsh truths.

General Secretary of IMPACT Peter McLoone says he is upbeat ahead of today's "difficult and challenging" talks on resolving the public-sector pay row.

SCHOOLS, courts and hospitals face crippling mass walkouts as they became the frontline in a rapidly escalating war of attrition between unions and the Government over public sector pay cuts.

AS the brinkmanship around public sector industrial unrest intensifies it is important that people be absolutely clear about the consequences of their actions.

Schools and hospitals are expected to be worst hit as union chiefs escalate a fight to reverse pay cuts with a series of work stoppages.

Union chiefs today agreed to escalate the fight to reverse pay cuts with a series of work stoppages.

Public services trade unions have confirmed an escalation in their action against budget pay cuts.

THE Government parties are to be specifically targeted in Monday’s escalation of public service industrial action against the budget.

The Government today appointed a new slimmed-down FÁS board of directors promising a root and branch overhaul of the scandal-hit state-training body.

AFTER almost 14 years at the helm of the country’s largest solely public sector union, IMPACT general secretary Peter McLoone is to retire within the next few months.

PUBLIC sector workers were last night warned they would pay for all-out strike action with even deeper wage cuts as the Government and unions squared up for an “explosive” battle.

All-out strike action that would bring Ireland’s public services to its knees can not be ruled out in the coming days, a senior union leader warned today.

PUBLIC sector unions have said social partnership is dead and told their members to prepare themselves for strikes.

Public-sector workers tonight threatened crippling strike action after bearing the brunt of the toughest Budget in the country’s history.

Unions lined up tonight to launch vicious attacks on the Government threatening months of angry disputes and strikes over pay cuts.

PUBLIC sector unions have warned they will embark on a long and sustained campaign of industrial action if the Government attempts to impose pay cuts and changes in conditions without agreement.

Public sector unions are warning of a long and sustained campaign of industrial action after talks with the Government collapsed last week.c

GARDAÍ have threatened a major escalation in their “work to rule” campaign against wage cuts of over 5% which are expected to be announced in Wednesday’s budget.

Public servants reportedly face a pay cut of between 5% and 6% in the Budget after talks on the issue between the Government and unions broke down yesterday.

BEFORE the collapse of yesterday’s public service pay talks the Government had already prepared legislation facilitating straight pay cuts.

SENIOR trade union leaders last night claimed the Government collapsed the public sector pay talks as part of a campaign to drive down wages in order to improve competitiveness.

HAS the Government finally seen sense or has it scuppered a golden opportunity to finally transform a bloated public service?

The Government tonight vowed to press ahead with €1.3bn public sector pay cuts after talks with unions on alternatives dramatically collapsed.

Talks between the Government and trade unions on cutting public sector spending by €1.3bn have collapsed and the Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said that they will have to plough on with cuts in next week's Budget.