ICTU delegates vote to accept new national pay deal

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has voted to accept the new national pay deal at a special delegate conference in Dublin this afternoon.

The outcome of the vote was effectively a formality after SIPTU announced last week that its 250,000 members had voted in favour of the agreement.

However, a number of unions opposed the deal, including Impact and Unite.

The agreement includes pay rises totalling 6% over 21 months for all workers, with an additional 0.5% for low-paid employees.

Speaking at today's conference, SIPTU president Jack O'Connor said any employer that failed to adhere to the terms would be guilty of sabotaging the economy at a critical moment for the country.