IBEC calls for social partners summit

EMPLOYERS body IBEC has called for a summit of the social partners in light of the economic crisis — but insisted it is not trying to renegotiate the new national wage agreement.

IBEC director-general Turlough O’Sullivan said the public finances, in particular, and the economy generally were in a “pretty serious situation”.

“You might describe it as a crisis,” he said in an interview with Today FM.

“It is serious enough in my view for the Taoiseach to have a summit of the social partners to discuss all of the issues. Primarily we need to focus on making the productive sector as competitive as possible because our previous success was based entirely on the ability of the productive sector to compete in international markets.”

Competitiveness was the cornerstone of IBEC’s argument against conceding to higher pay raises for staff in the wage negotiations.

However, the employers’ body insisted the new deal had not yet been ratified and in calling for the summit, Mr O’Sullivan was not trying to renegotiate its content but merely unite to examine the situation.

“We need unity,” said Mr O’Sullivan. “The social partnership apparatus has served the country well for 20 years. It is an ideal and obvious mechanism and environment in which the nation can be mobilised.

“The seriousness of the situation in which we find ourselves should also mobilise politicians to show unity of purpose and understand while they may get opportunity to score points in the current situation they should really consider doing what was done back in 1987 with the Tallaght strategy, when there was a unity of purpose politically, as well as with the social partners.”

Last night SIPTU general secretary, Joe O’Flynn, said his union would be happy to engage in a process with IBEC if it was about protecting jobs through initiatives such as upskilling.

However, he said the union would not engage in any process designed to undermine what was agreed in the pay talks on pay increases and improvements in working conditions.

“We have no intention whatsoever of renegotiating what was agreed,” he said.

“There is ample provision for companies that are not able to pay the terms of the agreement to make other arrangements.”