Mandate pulls out of partnership talks

WITH the future of social partnership to be determined within the next week, the country’s third largest union yesterday announced it was pulling out of talks on the next partnership agreement.

Following a meeting of Mandate’s national executive in Dublin yesterday, the union’s general secretary John Douglas said he did not believe social partnership could address the widening gap between those on low and high pay. Mandate, with 40,000 members, primarily represents workers in the retail and bar trades.

The move comes just a week before a crucial SIPTU vote, to be taken next Monday, on whether to enter new agreement talks.