THE Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) and the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) are to meet on Friday to discuss how to become "social partners", writes Padraig Yeates Industry and Employment Correspondent.
Both want membership of the Central Review Committee oversees the implementation of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW).
ISME broke away from IBEC two years ago. Earlier this month its members, most of whom were originally with IBEC's Small Firms Association, voted to seek social partnership status.
ISME is to meet Mr Gay Mitchell, Minister of State at the Taoiseach's Department, to discuss the application next Tuesday.
Ahead of that the ISME director, Mr Frank Mulcahy, sought Friday's meeting with his opposite number in the INOU, Mr Mike Allen.