National pay talks – Intervention could have been fatal

turbulence that the national pay negotiations hit because of the intervention of Tánaiste Mary Harney over the Aer Rianta issue could have had fatal implications for the process.

Fortunately, both unions and employers agreed a national wage round yesterday which will give workers an increase of 5.5% over the next 18 months.

The unions also sought a €20 flat increase for low paid workers; what they got instead was an extra 0.5% added to the first phase payment for those earning below €9 per hour.