Ireland's largest union secures backing for pay deal
Members of Ireland's largest trade union have voted to back a revised public sector pay deal.
It paves the way for 1bn euros in budget savings and is expected to avert the threat of major strikes.
The Irish government had pencilled in savings from the deal to meet deficit targets under its 2010 EU-IMF bailout, which it is due to leave in December.
However, that was put in doubt when SIPTU voted against an earlier version of the deal in April.
SIPTU members, who account for about 25% of Ireland's public sector workers, have now voted 76% in favour of the deal, the union said in a statement.