Public sector unions are to delay a major escalation of their national work-to-rule for four weeks to allow the Government to re-engage in negotiations with them.
The work-to-rule by over 250,000 public servants in protest at Government pay cuts is now entering its fifth week.
There has been no reported impact on patients in the health sector, but there has been some inconvenience in administration services.
Speaking after a meeting of the Public Service Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Tom Geraghty said they had identified various actions they could take to escalate the effect of their current industrial action.
Mr Geraghty said the purpose of the current action was not to hit the public, but to create the circumstances where they could have a meaningful engagement.
However, he added that some elements of the first current phase of the work-to-rule could be escalated over the coming weeks.
Mr Geraghty would not reveal what forms of further industrial action were discussed, saying they would be determined over the next few weeks.
He confirmed that there had not been any formal or meaningful contact with the Government.
Meanwhile, Government sources reiterated that the current work-to-rule would not achieve anything and said the Government remained open to meaningful engagement.
However, they also repeated that there would be no change in their position on the pay cuts for 2010.
