Employers and unions resume social partnership talks
Employers and unions have resumed negotiations on a new social partnership deal amid pessimism about the prospects for agreement between the sides.
Little progress has been made in the talks so far, with the two sides at loggerheads over measures to protect employment standards.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is refusing to discuss any other issues until agreement has been reached on this issue.
The unions want legislation to ensure workers are paid the going rates for jobs and cannot be laid off to be replaced by people on lower pay.
However, the employers' body IBEC is opposed to this and instead wants a commitment to better enforcement and compliance with existing labour laws.
The talks, which had previously been taking place at government buildings, resumed at Farmleigh in Dublin last night, with the change of venue apparently designed to create a new mood among the parties.
