Social partnership ‘used as scapegoat’

THE Irish Congress of Trade Unions has attacked the findings of a Department of Finance review which claims budget-making over the last 10 years was “overwhelmed” by programmes for government and social partnership.

The report says: “Economic overheating along with the social partnership process led to a major deterioration in competitiveness in the private sector and to very high public service wages especially relative to international partners.”

“As the representative of the public service employers, the Department of Finance had an important input to the partnership process and consistently warned of growing threats to competitiveness,” the report’s authors say.