Rhodes plant staff to cost ESB €10m

THE ESB finally decided yesterday to close its defunct power plant at Rhode in Co Offaly next month and pay workers a voluntary severance package worth around €10 million.

The plant has not produced any electricity since a worker was seriously injured in an explosion in May 2001, but more than 100 staff have shown up for work every day since, costing the company €60,000 a week in wages plus other costs.

The 105 workers at the Rhode plant some of whom haven't worked for the past two years are set to get a package worth around €100,000 each before tax, depending on their years of service, when the plant closes on April 7.

"This figure is broadly accurate. They will get four years salary in a lump sum and half a year's pay until they reach retirement age," an ESB spokesman confirmed.

The Rhode workers were also offered an additional package of between €40,000 and €50,000 each. This includes a 10-month retainer payment with holiday buy-back for decommissioning the plant and a €5,000 special award in lieu of early closure.

The results of a postal ballot of 64 Rhode workers on this extra package will be known on Friday but union sources said yesterday they expected the offer will be accepted.

If it is, the remaining 41 workers at Rhode who did not vote on the extra package will also be entitled to claim the package worth between €40,000 and €50,000, an ESB spokesman confirmed.

"No matter what way the vote on the additional package goes next Friday, the Rhode workers will still be given the option of taking the voluntary severance package or else be re-deployed within the company."

The ESB decided in May 2002 that it would close the plant in May 2004 and workers were kept on to carry out routine maintenance.

Protracted and acrimonious negotiations followed, which saw the Rhode workers reject the voluntary severance package and additional pay deal recommended by the ESB's industrial council in two open ballots.

When the workers rejected the deal for a second time last month, the company withdrew the offer. And then 64 workers requested a postal ballot on the original offer.

The ESB confirmed yesterday that if they accept the additional package by next Friday it will be paid to all workers.

ESB group of unions secretary Paddy Reilly said: "We are going through the democratic process and will let the company know the result of the ballot by close of business on Friday."

Meanwhile, the ESB confirmed it intends to proceed with the closure of its turf generating plant in Cahersiveen and the 14 workers there are likely to be offered a similar package.