Compromise key to agreement

AFTER 22 hours of non-stop negotiations at Government Buildings, preceded by weeks of debate and intransigence on both sides, the social partners finally confirmed they had reached a framework deal that they could bring to their members.

The deal, 6% over 21 months with an additional 0.5% for the low-paid as well as a range of non-pay components, contained elements which all sides had difficulty with but upon which they were eventually willing to compromise to achieve a deal.

For example, for the last 10 days private sector unions had said repeatedly they would not accept any pay pause for their members, but in the deal private sector workers must accept three months without any rise.