Members of Siptu have voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of the new social partnership agreement, Towards 2016.
A four-week nationwide ballot saw the union's members vote to accept the proposed agreement by 72 per cent to 28 per cent.
Towards 2016 was hammered out over months of negotiations with employers, unions and government representatives. The agreement includes a 10 per cent pay rise over 27 months, and measures to protect labout standards in this country.
"Union members have clearly decided in favour of the proposals on the basis of the substantial progress achieved on measures to combat exploitation, the threat of displacement and the proper enforcement of labour standards as well as the wider social agenda. The pay terms will protect workers' living standards over the life-time of the agreement," said Joe O'Flynn, general secretary.
O'Flynn said the proposed pay increase would exceed all inflation projections. "SIPTU alone anticipated that inflation would rise beyond 4 per cent and demanded increases in pay that would protect workers against such increases when other commentators - including the banks, stockbrokers, Government and employer organisations argued to the contrary and advocated increases in low single figures," he said.
The union will formally support the agreement at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions' conference on September 5th.
Impact, the State's largest public-sector union, have already voted in favour of accepting the social partnbership agreement, along with the Public Service Executive Union, the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the National Union of Journalists.