A new round of public sector pay talks begin today.
Unions and government representatives are due to meet at the Workplace Relations Commission.
The invitation to attend a new round of pay talks was only accepted by the trade unions involved last week.
The current public sector agreement - Building Momentum - is due to expire on New Years Eve.
However although unions have agreed to attend the WRC, they have said any wage deal must protect public sector staff
from cost-of-living pressures.
And they also want the talks to also focus on the removal of emergency legislation introduced during the financial crisis, which the unions say gives the government too much power over industrial disputes.
