Mandate, the State's second-largest union, has called for the scrapping of the remainder of Partnership 2000. Its national industrial officer, Mr John Douglas, said the 1 per cent increase on offer would not even match inflation.
With house prices increasing by over 20 per cent and the economy growing by 9 per cent, he said, the 1 per cent, not due until early 2001 for some workers, should be brought forward and a flat-rate increase of £20 a week introduced to help the low-paid.