SIPTU has secured pay increases in excess of the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness for almost 80,000 members, according to the union vice-president, Mr Jack O'Connor. In contrast, only 6,000 have failed to secure the additional 2 per cent due last April to compensate for inflation.
Mr O'Connor also told delegates that 40,000 members had secured extra fringe benefits such as better pension schemes or health schemes and 13,000 had received pay increases ahead of schedule.
"These achievements are due in part to local and partnership negotiation", he said. "But you will be interested to note, delegates, that since April 1st we have sanctioned no less than 197 strikes and industrial disputes involving no less than 25,000 members."
While national agreements had their value, he added that, "the PPF has not meant the end of trade union activity and organisation, or of the need for solidarity and collective action."
Some delegates at yesterday's conference claimed national agreements had compromised members' right to strike, although others in vulnerable sectors expressed concern about future job security.
Responding to the debate Mr O'Connor said the national executive "has no intention of surrendering the fundamental right to strike. There are, however, exceptional cases where we have agreed to no strike clauses for limited periods of time."
These included situations where a company might forfeit a contract if there was a delay over a strike and the union had to adopt an intelligent approach to use of the strike weapon.