DUBLIN, Ireland: Trade unions are expected to push for above-inflation pay increases as talks on a new public-sector pay agreement get underway "in the coming weeks", the government said.

With the current agreement expiring at the end of June, exploratory talks are expected to begin before that, The Irish Times reports.

The government expects unions to seek large pay rises because workers feel their wages have lost value due to recent high inflation.

The Department of Public Expenditure told The Irish Times that, under the government's program, talks between the government and public service unions will begin in the coming weeks about a possible new agreement. Once a deal is reached, the government will approve it and provide funding through the budget process.

Many unions believe that if the agreement is to last several years, it should also address issues such as remote work and a say in broader policies, including housing, which they call "common-good issues."

Kevin Callinan said that without these broader points, only a short-term pay deal is realistic. He added that unions will agree to such a deal only if it properly compensates for last year's budget decisions, such as not adjusting tax bands, and for the recent inflation that has reduced people's spending power.

Callinan also said the unions will not simply make the same kind of agreement with the Department of Public Expenditure at the Workplace Relations Commission as they have done for the past 15 years.