SIPTU members in the public service have voted by 91% to accept the proposed new public service agreement "Building Momentum".
SIPTU Deputy General Secretary John King said that despite the challenges of holding a ballot amid public health restrictions, "tens of thousands" of the union's public service members had engaged in a consultation process across various online formats.
However, he declined to reveal the turnout, or proportion of members who had actually cast a vote.
He said the union did not have a policy of releasing such figures, and that this would have been the case over previous public service agreements.
"What I can say is that despite it being a postal ballot because of Covid-19, and not an on-the-job ballot the turnout held up and is fully consistent with previous turnouts," he added.
Mr King said SIPTU representatives would now take this mandate to the next meeting of the ICTU Public Services Committee on 23 February when the agreement is expected to be ratified by an aggregate vote of all public service unions.
Today's yes votes by two of the biggest public service unions - SIPTU and the INTO - significantly boost the chances of ratification, with the other two largest unions - the INMO and Fórsa - also recommending acceptance.
However, the Irish Medical Organisation has recommended that its members should reject "Building Momentum".
In a letter to around 5,000 members, Chief Executive Susan Clyne said the document failed to "even acknowledge, let alone address, the inequitable two tier pay system" following the 30% unilateral pay cut imposed on consultants in 2012, which the union blames for up to 700 vacant consultant posts "and dangerously long waiting lists".
She also noted that "Building Momentum" does not address the "dangerous and illegal hours worked by our NCHDs [Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors] to prop up an overstretched, under-resourced and understaffed service."
Her letter to members said the proposals failed to recognise the medical manpower crisis across all elements of the health service, or to address issues regarding regrading of public health doctors or Area Medical Officers.
She also accused management of failing to consult appropriately on embedding pandemic-based reform.
The IMO ballot result is due on Friday 19 February.
Yesterday, the ASTI secondary teachers' union rejected "Building Momentum" by a margin of 79-21% - with a turnout of 28%.
