The General Workers' Union would like to see the government meeting the social partners every three months to report on the implementation of the Budget proposals.
The social partners should be involved in ensuring budgetary measures were implemented, especially when it came to investment, employment and consumer protection issues, the GWU stressed.
The union, which held a general council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Finance Minister's presentation, said that, while the Budget addressed several important aspects to help businesses through the economic crisis, the proposals were not enough to generate sustainable employment.
Budgetary measures aimed at helping people cope with increased costs - such as the introduction of the €5.82 weekly cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) - could be overridden by the increase in water and electricity tariffs. The tariffs should come into force on January 1.
A sum of €10 million set aside by the government for a one-time energy rates compensation was not enough to cover the increased costs faced by families, the union said.
It maintained that minimising government-induced costs and easing tax burdens would avoid increase inflation and regenerate the economy.
The union welcomed the COLA decision and to extend it to everyone. However, it was disappointed that the Budget failed to adjust the national minimal pension. Measures that would directly improve the quality of life of those people who fell below the poverty line were necessary, it said.
The union said EU funds should be better managed and it called on the government to ensure investors were not bogged down with unnecessary bureaucracy that hindered the best use of such money.
It welcomed the decision to reduce hospital waiting lists over three years but added that the process should be speedier as it was unacceptable that a sick person had to wait for such a long time.
The union also welcomed measures to better monitor the prices of medicine and safeguard consumer interests.
It said it expected the government to ensure prices were not abused by importers who held a monopoly over particular markets.
While there was much need for a public transport reform, the union said it would be assessing its repercussions on people's quality of life.