Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton has said the Government is entirely united on the path he is taking to overhauling sectoral wage agreements.
He said the Government is committed to radical reform in the area and have charged him with developing proposals.
The Government's decision will be taken in due course, he said.
Mr Bruton also said he had the full support of the Taoiseach and that discussions have taken place at Cabinet level.
It was announced yesterday that proposals are being considered by the Government which could lead to pay cuts for some 200,000 people working in hotels, restaurants, retailing and other sectors.
Under the proposals, overtime would be restricted and they would lose their legal entitlement to special Sunday premium payments.
Mr Bruton promised a decision by the end of June on an overhaul of the system of setting minimum terms and conditions in these sectors.
The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, said he supports modernisation of the Joint Labour Committees and defended Mr Bruton's right to influence proposals being brought to Cabinet.
He told journalists in Brussels that Minister Bruton had Cabinet approval to publish the proposals and make his views clear.
However, in a separate statement, the Minister said that no decisions had been taken and that Government would have to be very careful before tampering with low-paid workers pay packets.
Asked about the drive to lower unit labour costs from organizations like the OECD, Mr Rabbitte said he was sceptical that targeting lower-paid workers first would lead the country on the path of growth.
On the question of reducing benefits of long-term unemployed people in order to increase the chances they would secure work, he described some proposals as wrong-headed.
Asked about whether people should be paid the same for working Sunday as opposed to any day of the week, Mr Rabbitte said there was usually a financial recognition for working on a Sunday.
Minister for Health Dr James Reilly denied there was a split in Government on the issue.
He said it came up at Cabinet and this is the normal dynamic of any government.
He said there is going to be a discussion and debate and in four weeks' time Minister Bruton will come back with his considerations to cabinet and it will be discussed again.
Every proposal that comes forward doesn't meet with universal enthusiasm every time, he said.
It is not problematic, he said, but different people have different views and those views will be manifested in the changes in the law that come about.
