In 2013, the Haddington Road Agreement increased public servants' working week to 37 or 39 hours.
However an Independent Body has recommended they return to pre-2013 levels.
The proposal would benefit more than 150,000 public sector workers including nurses and clerical staff, and cost an estimated 180 million euro.
Neil McDonnell, the CEO of small business group ISME, says this is unfair on taxpayers
"On a standard 37 hour week, reducing that by two hours represents a manpower or a labour increase requirement of 5% and that has to come from somewhere. It imposes a very substantial payroll increase on the exchequer and therefore on the taxpayer"
