Government invites ICTU to new talks on economy

The Government has issued an invitation to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to engage in talks on stabilising the economy.

The executive of the ICTU has also confirmed it will meet this evening to discuss the development.

It followed the IMPACT executive council's decision not to sanction striking on Monday's national day of action. Members of the country's largest public sector trade union narrowly failed to vote in favour of taking part in the strike.

General Secretary Peter McLoone said unions would do all they could to call off Monday's strike:

“If industrial action takes place next Monday it will only be because the unions believe that they have no other option,” Mr McLoone said.

“But we will work to ensure in so far as we can that if there's an option of getting into a talks process rather than action then we will look at that positively.”

IBEC, the group that represents Irish business, today welcomed the development.

IBEC Director General Turlough O'Sullivan said: "The country is facing a serious economic crisis and a collective national response is required. There is an urgent need to put in place agreed measure to secure the economic viability of the country and protect the maximum number of jobs.

"We should all be working together in the national interest and sending out a positive signal to the international community that we are capable of solving our problems in a constructive and non-adversarial manner.

"The ICTU day of action should be cancelled immediately."