Already struggling to overcome differences on the minimum wage and tax burdens, the trade unions and employers opened a front on insolvency legislation, increasing the chances that they would miss their second self-imposed deadline for reaching agreement on the pact.

The document setting the framework for industrial relations in the country was initially scheduled to be concluded by the end of last year, but overwhelming differences necessitated more talks.

Despite setting Tuesday as the deadline for initialling the deal, it now appears possible that talks will run beyond that.

A new stumbling block is the demand by trade unions for insolvency legislation to elevate claims by workers above other claims in bankruptcy proceedings.

Business is against this idea, fearing that discriminating other creditors would pose a threat to companies and small creditors.

The talks today also showed that the trade unions are not fully willing to accept the compromise proposal that the minimum wage be excluded from the social pact. They called on all bonuses to be excluded from the calculation of the minimum wage, a move strongly opposed by business representatives.

Business representatives are not willing to allow more than a provision saying that the definition of the minimum wage would be re-examined.

The two sides and government officials will meet again on Tuesday in a bid to settle the remaining differences, but it is unclear whether a deal is possible.