Growing tensions between public and private sector unions are to be addressed by union leaders in the coming months.
Acknowledging that such tensions existed, the new president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Mr Brendan Mackin, said they could be overcome through internal discussions.
The strains surfaced in a debate at last week's ICTU biennial conference in Tralee, when one union sought to change the structure of future negotiations on partnership deals.
The Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) sought to have separate negotiations between public and private sector unions on pay rises.
Its general secretary, Mr Owen Wills, said there was "concern, debate and acrimony" about the way in which negotiations had taken place up to now. This involved public service unions negotiating pay and conditions with the Government as part of the overall pay talks. The TEEU, one of the largest craft unions, wants private sector unions to be allowed hold their own parallel talks with employers.
Traditional tensions between the public and private sector unions were exacerbated by the benchmarking awards, which formed part of the recent partnership deal, Sustaining Progress. These gave public servants average pay increases of 8.9 per cent over and above the 7 per cent rise over 18 months secured by workers in both sectors.
Public service staff did, however, have to accept a six-month pay freeze, which did not apply in the private sector.
Mr Mackin, who succeeds Senator Joe O'Toole and will lead congress for the next two years, said some of the tensions between private and public sector unions were historical. "But I believe the trade union movement has the capacity to get around these things and to look at what is best in the long term."
A TEEU motion at the conference, calling for the introduction of parallel pay talks, was remitted to the congress executive for further consideration.
Mr Wills agreed not to put the motion to a vote following an appeal for unity by Mr Peter McLoone, general secretary of IMPACT, the State's largest public sector union.
Coincidentally, Mr McLoone defeated Mr Wills in an election for the vice-presidency of congress, in a contest some saw as epitomising the public-private sector divide.
Congress general secretary Mr David Begg acknowledged the negotiating process for Sustaining Progress had revealed "severe tensions" in the movement.
While it was very difficult to find the correct negotiating arrangements, he understood the strength of feeling on the issue and took it "very seriously". The matter would be given priority consideration by the new executive council of congress in the autumn, he said.
Mr Wills claimed it would be better for public and private sector unions to pursue their "legitimate but separate interests" directly with their respective employers.