Mr. Shay Cody:

There is a requirement under the Croke Park agreement for the employer to table their initiative to the unions. Then there is engagement on it. In many cases the implementation body would be getting reports that agreement is reached. This is probably a more sensitive area and I am not sure whether early agreements will be reached. There are facilities open to either party to trigger referral to adjudication, which is binding.

Clearly, a judgment has to be made as part of that process. If one is doing business one stays at the table; on the other hand, if one considers one will not do business there is an opportunity to refer to a third party. These processes are quite speedy and have been completed under the Croke Park agreement. Obviously, management is suggesting some fast-track arrangements because we do not want to bog down the Labour Relations Commission or the Labour Court unnecessarily. It is early days yet. To my knowledge, there has been some initial engagement on these matters, but not in all sectors.