Unions facing further cuts

Trade unions are to be presented with further spending cuts in the coming weeks as the Government reels from an embarrassing savings review flop in the public sector.

As the Government was accused of caving in on cutting public workers’ allowances, Taoiseach Enda Kenny pledged to bring in trade union bosses to squeeze the maximum out of the Croke Park deal.

A decision to mainly target new entrants in the Government’s review of workers allowances also led to charges that ministers were creating a two-tier system in some professions, such as teaching.