What is in the proposed agreement

PAY There will be a pay pause of 11 months in the public sector and three months in the private sector

PAYThere will be a pay pause of 11 months in the public sector and three months in the private sector. Following the pay pause, workers in both sectors will be awarded a pay rise of 6 per cent over 21 months in tranches of 3.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Those earning less than €11 an hour will receive an extra 0.5 per cent pay rise on top of the 6 per cent.

WHEN WOULD INCREASES COME IN?

If accepted, the agreement would come into force on the expiry of the current partnership agreement, Towards 2016. Different companies signed up to this agreement on different dates. So an employee working for a firm whose agreement lapsed this month would receive the increase in December.

Public-sector workers will receive the increase in September 2009.

READ MORE

This timeframe will apply irrespective of when the agreement is ratified.

NON-PAY ELEMENTS

A national framework on the employment and rights of temporary agency workers will be developed. It will be prohibited to use temporary agency workers during official strikes or lock outs.

Provision will be made for pensions under the Transfer of Undertakings Directive.

A statutory prohibition will be introduced on the victimisation of employees based on their membership or non-membership or activity on behalf of a trade union, and on incentivising non-membership of trade unions.

A time-bound process will be set up in which the issue of employee representation and the appropriate legislative framework will be addressed.

A commitment has been given in relation to public service modernisation, including responding to the OECD report.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The terms now have to be considered by all sides. There is no set deadline.

Both sides said it could take some time estimated by unions at between four and six weeks - for the agreement to be considered and voted on by their members.