Sustaining Progress - Department of Taoiseach

3.2 It is acknowledged by the parties to this Agreement that the above adjustment is intended to provide
a basic statutory minimum redundancy payment for all workers covered by the Acts. It will not be
used to increase the cost of redundancy payments as may be already provided for by agreements at
enterprise level.
3.3 The parties agree that no repercussive claims related to or following on from this adjustment to the
statutory minimum provisions for redundancy payments will be made by trade unions or employees.
Where a dispute about the appropriate level of redundancy payment arises directly from this
adjustment of statutory provisions, both parties will refer the matter for interpretation by the Labour
Court and be bound by its recommendation on the matter.
Section 4: Pension and Sick Pay Schemes
4.1 Unions are not precluded by Clause 1.5 from making claims for the introduction of pension or sick pay
schemes where none exist or from making claims for the improvement of such schemes where these
are substantially out of line with appropriate standards in comparable employments.
4.2 Having regard to the cost and other implications of pension and sick pay schemes, negotiations on
these matters shall be governed by the capacity of the enterprise to absorb the cost involved and,
additionally, in the case of sick pay schemes, the implications for attendance.
4.3 Agreements under Clauses 4.1 and 4.2 may therefore include appropriate phasing and other arrangements
(which may exceed the timescale of this Agreement) to take account of these considerations.
Section 5: Partnership at the Workplace
5.1 In this context, the parties to the Agreement recommit themselves to extending and deepening
the partnership process at the workplace in accordance with commitments under previous national
agreements. It is intended that the National Centre for Partnership and Performance will play an
increasing role in supporting this process.
National Centre for Partnership and Performance
5.2 The Government, employers and unions believe that co-operative working relationships are the key to
managing change, higher performance and a better workplace. The National Centre for Partnership
and Performance will work with IBEC and ICTU in supporting the deepening of partnership and
performance in the workplace, including through:
■ the establishment of a Forum on the Workplace of the Future to foster in-depth discussion of how
workplaces can best adapt to competitive pressures, improve the delivery of services and respond
to the changing needs and preferences of employees;
■ a joint action project with FÁS to promote a learning culture in Irish organisations;
■ the development and dissemination of case studies of best practice in the area of partnership and
performance;
■ the development of a national training strategy to assist those involved in organisational change
through partnership;
■ the preparation of guidelines on the different forms of employee financial involvement;
Part 2 Pay and the Workplace
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