Ballots on whether to endorse the proposed new national partnership programme are being completed this week by the two biggest unions.
Impact, which represents 56,000 mainly public sector workers, will announce the result of its ballot on Towards 2016 tomorrow. Meanwhile, Siptu's ballot of its 200,000 members will conclude tomorrow and a result will be known next week.
If, as expected, members of both unions vote to accept the proposed agreement, Towards 2016 is likely to be formally ratified at a special delegate conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on September 5th. The main employers' body, Ibec, is also expected to ratify the deal.
The proposed agreement provides for pay increases for workers of 10 per cent, in four phases, over 27 months.