Social partnership - Grounds for optimism in pay deal talks

EXTENSIVE progress has been made in the marathon negotiations to continue the social partnership that underpinned the Sustaining Progress agreement.

Some consensus still needs to be achieved, but there has been substantial progress in a number of key areas during the latest round of talks — the most protracted since the beginning of social partnership.

Under the pay aspects, workers will get a 10% wage increase, to be introduced in four phases over the next twenty-seven months.