There is utility in social partnership. No one wishes to go back to the trench warfare of long strikes. That is the measurement of social partnership. I agree it carries some of the dangers outlined. My only concern is if one engages in a process of bargaining and negotiation, it is difficult for one party to withdraw while maintaining the credibility of the process and leaving open the possibility of picking up the bits and pieces again. It can be argued that the deal was negotiated during the good times when the State could afford it but it cannot now. A private company would open its books, inform its workers it cannot afford the deal and ask them to sit down. That means the pain is shared all around and it is not all visited on the workers. A major can of worms would be opened by getting into that. It is precious to think that industrial relations, pay and conditions, remuneration and productivity can be discussed as if they are entirely separate and discrete. They interact with each other and the purpose of the deal is to enable the recruitment, motivation and retention of workers and certain actions must be taken to do so.