Gain-sharing schemes crucial to new national wage agreement

GOVERNMENT and employer attitudes to gain-sharing schemes for workers will be crucial to delivering a new national wage agreement, according to the leader of the country's largest union.

SIPTU general secretary John McDonnell said the Government and employers had a deplorable record in backing schemes which allow employees benefit from financial progress of their firms. He said an EU report shows that only 30% of Irish workers have a profit-sharing scheme and an abysmal 6% benefit from the more broadly based gain-sharing schemes.

Writing in today's Irish Examiner, Mr McDonnell urges the Government and the employer organisation IBEC to support the introduction of gain-share schemes. He said the report provided evidence of the potential benefits for workers and bosses from such schemes.