TEEU to discuss pay claims following talks collapse

The Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union's executive committee will meet later today to discuss a pay offensive following the collapse of social partnership talks yesterday morning.

The 35,000-strong TEEU said its first target will be semi-state companies like the ESB which enjoyed a six-month pay freeze under previous social partnership agreements.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the employers' group IBEC failed to negotiate a national pay deal during six weeks of talks which collapsed yesterday.

The two sides in the social partnership talks had laid out their respective positions prior to the negotiations, but the gap between the unions and employers was wider yesterday as it was at the outset of talks six weeks ago.

IBEC had been seeking a six-month pay freeze in the private sector followed by a 3% pay rise, but unions insisted they would not accept any pay rises below the rate of inflation as this would mean an erosion of workers' living standards.

Their failure to reach a settlement could bring an end to the social partnership process.