Social partnership - Public sector must be prudent

PUBLIC sector workers, among the best paid people in the country, will invariably look askance at calls for wage restraint to be given top priority in up-coming partnership talks.

Floating this proposal in its winter bulletin, the Economic and Social Research Institute says it can be achieved without lowering the quality of people joining the service.

Selling the concept of self-denial to those who since 1994 have earned up to 15% a year more than their counterparts in private industry is an uphill task.