I am aware of the survey referred to by the Deputy. This survey was undertaken to assess not only workers' experience of but their attitude to national social partnership agreements. It is encouraging that the study of these trade union members indicates that the majority of those surveyed view the framing of a new national agreement positively. I expect that an agreement to succeed Partnership 2000 would aim to deepen partnership in Irish enterprises.
There are indications from a number of sources that partnership agreements are increasingly found in Irish workplaces. At a recent conference organised by SIPTU it was stated that increasing numbers of that union's membership are covered by an agreement on employee participation. Earlier this year, an IBEC survey of companies which together employed more than 200,000 employees, indicated that 44 per cent of the companies surveyed had jointly created partnership initiatives with their unions. These cover such areas as: communications; consultation and joint management – employee activities; organisation of work; training and development; financial involvement; job control; occupational health and safety; and equal opportunities.