Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary David Begg said he is not “optimistic” ahead of social partnership talks in Government Buildings today.
Speaking this morning, Mr Begg said “nothing of substance” had happened since last meeting the Government in June.
He said that while an invitation to talks with the Taoiseach is always important, against the background of recent economic commentary “one can’t be over-optimistic”.
“One has the sense that it’s all being choreographed for a particular purpose and its to prepare public opinion for an extremely harsh budget in early December," he told RTÉ Radio.
“Against that background I don’t personally entertain great expectations that we can have a significant leap forward.”
The meeting comes a day before Congress plans to formally launch its public campaign of opposition to Government cuts.
