No breakthrough at public service pay talks

Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha is one of the lead negotiators on pay talks. Picture: Leah Farrell

A breakthrough between unions and government representatives on a pay deal for 300,000 public service employees remains elusive after days of tension that boiled over at one point.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) urged representatives from the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Department of Public Expenditure to let temperatures cool as negotiations continued.