Whatever government is in power after the next election it must honour the tax concessions of Partnership 2000 in full, a senior trade union leader has warned.
The SIPTU vice president, Mr Jimmy Somers, speaking yesterday at the opening of a campaign to ensure the union's 200,000 members were made aware of the agreement's benefits, said the combination of tax cuts and pay rises should ensure them increases of between 12 per cent and 16 per cent.
He also said any employer wishing to make changes in work practices or improve productivity would have to pay the full 9.25 per cent due under the pay sections of the agreement. He put them on notice the am.on would be seeking improvements in fringe benefits such as pensions and sick pay schemes.