THE IRISH Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) is to hold a special conference on April 17th to decide whether it should take part in new national pay talks.
Its executive committee is to table a motion proposing that unions participate in the talks on a platform of five main issues.
These include a demand for pay rises which would "insulate workers against rises in the cost of living".
Leaders of all of the unions in the Republic which are affiliated to the Ictu will attend the conference.
Workers received increases of 10 per cent over 27 months as part of the most recent phase of the national agreement, Towards 2016. However, the bulk of these increases were eroded by higher-than-anticipated inflation levels over the last year or so.
In the proposed platform for the talks, agreed at a meeting of the Ictu executive committee yesterday, unions would also seek improvements in pensions.
They would also oppose unilateral action by employers to end access for new staff to defined benefit schemes which provide a guaranteed amount on retirement.
Under the congress proposals unions would also seek that workers recruited by companies through employment agencies should receive the same treatment in terms of pay and conditions as regular employees.
The Ictu platform for the talks would also see unions seek new measures to protect the operation of joint labour committees which set minimum terms and conditions for workers in a number of sectors.
The constitutionality of such agreements was challenged in the High Court recently in a case brought by the Irish Hotels' Federation.
Although this case was settled without the constitutionality issue being addressed, there are concerns among trade unionists that a similar challenge could be brought in the future.
As part of the Ictu platform unions would also seek the Government to take steps in relation to their rights to represent workers in non-union companies.
Unions claim existing legislation in this area was effectively emasculated as a result of a Supreme Court decision last year in a case brought by Ryanair.
Unions in any new social partnership talks would also seek greater State investment in areas such as health, education and childcare.
Meanwhile, the country's largest union, Siptu, said yesterday that it would hold a special conference on April 14th to decide its position on entering the new national pay talks.
