Govt presents proposals designed to conclude pay talks

The Government has presented proposals to employers and trade unions in an effort to resolve the on-going deadlock in the national pay talks.

The proposals include pay rises totalling 10% over 27 months for workers, with an extra 0.5% for the low-paid.

However, they include no local-bargaining clause, which had been sought by some trade unions.

The proposals were presented to both sides last night in an effort to bring a conclusion to negotiations that have been on-going for several weeks.

However, 10 hours of discussions broke up at 5am this morning without an agreement due to on-going union concerns about the pensions issue.

The Irish Congress of Trade Union has described the proposals in this area as "quite weak and very disappointing".

Both sides are due to meet again this afternoon in an effort to end the stalemate.

The employers' body IBEC has described the Government's proposals as a reasonable compromise, while ICTU said it would study them in more detail at a meeting today.