THE Taoiseach has called on employers and trade unions to ensure there is a new national agreement to succeed the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. He wants a new three year agreement that will last until the end of the century.
Addressing the National Economic and Social Council in Dublin Castle yesterday, on which the social partners are represented, Mr Bruton said national agreements had played a key role in ensuring the success of the economy. He called on the NESC to prepare "a strategy document" that would identify issues likely to arise in such talks and to suggest appropriate responses.
"The current Programme for Competitiveness and Work will come to an end in 1996," he said. "This year, then, the Government will move to negotiate a new programme to cover the years 1997, 1998 and 1999."
"In particular, the move to economic and monetary union will take place and decisions will be made on the enlargement of the European Union, as well as, Union financial arrangements post 1999.
He said that the NESC was the most appropriate body to draw up such a document because of the wide number of organisations represented on it.