Just when you thought the love-in between the social partners in the shadow of the Celtic Tiger would never end, IBEC and SIPTU have returned to the good old bad old days of industrial relations.

The occasion was IBEC's annual get-together when the great and the good of Irish business were addressed by luminaries at Dublin Castle. IBEC director general John Dunne took advantage of the occasion to launch a timely broadside at the danger to competitiveness of a raft of recent pay claims, particularly in the public service. His comments came on the day it was announced that Forfas SIPTU staff had grudgingly accepted a substantial pay rise. That union's general secretary, John McDonnell, wasted no time in responding, accusing corporate Ireland of being tight-fisted in sharing out the fruits of economic success and asserting workers' rights to pursue "traditional wage demand methods", that is, industrial disputes.

The opening shots should make for an interesting set of negotiations on any successor to Partnership 2000, which is up for renewal shortly. They also indicate the 1998 figure for working days lost through industrial disputes is not likely to be challenged on the low end this year.