A union pressing for a special increase for the lower paid in the current pay talks said yesterday that women would be the main beneficiaries.
Mandate, which represents 40,000 workers and is the third biggest union in the Republic, is demanding a flat rate increase of €20 a week for those on lower pay. The call is supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and is also a key demand of the country's biggest union, SIPTU, but is opposed by the employers' body, IBEC.
Mandate general secretary-designate Mr John Douglas said women earned, on average, 15 per cent less than men and were over-represented amongst the low paid.
A flat rate increase would therefore go some way to easing the financial hardship being experienced by female workers, he said.
"While the gender pay gap narrowed between 1997 and 2001, figures for June 2002 showed the gap widening again. There is also a gender difference in job-related benefits, most importantly pensions," he said.
Pensions was one of a number of pay-related issues discussed by employer, union and Government representatives in yesterday's talks at Government Buildings.
The parties are seeking to agree a pay deal for the second 18 months of the three-year Sustaining Progress partnership programme, which came into effect early last year.
A plenary session yesterday morning, however, was devoted mainly to related matters, such as the unions' demand that extra staff be appointed to the labour inspectorate of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. There are currently just 17 inspectors employed to police the implementation of the minimum wage and other employment standards.
Yesterday afternoon the talks turned to economic factors which will have a crucial bearing on the talks, such as inflation and economic growth.
The talks resume today but it is now expected that the central issue of pay rates will not be formally discussed until tomorrow.
There is currently a wide gap between the sides with employers regarding the unions' likely demand of a 7 per cent pay increase over 18 months as unsustainable.
The talks are to be adjourned for a period this afternoon to allow participants to attend the funeral of the journalist, Mary Holland.
