Unions to consider proposals aimed at averting ESB strike

TALKS aimed at averting an ESB strike on Monday next were wrapped up last evening with settlement proposals being worked out.

The proposals will be discussed by the unions within the ESB this morning.

The unions, management and Government representatives held talks yesterday with the National Implementation Body (NIB) in a bid to avoid a crippling national strike.

The NIB has recommended referring the dispute to the Labour Court, which will put in place a process to deal with all the issues involved.

Yesterday, the NIB heard submissions from ESB management and the Department of Communications after representatives from the ESB Officer’s Association (ESBOA) and other ESB unions had made their cases. Last night, the NIB called upon all the parties to take note of their responsibility to maintain industrial peace under clause 1.5 of the Sustaining Progress agreement.

The NIB requested “the ESBOA to urgently reconsider its proposed industrial action in the light of the proposals which are intended as a road map to an eventual resolution of all issues in contention.”

The ESBOA, which represents around 2,300 of the ESB’s 8,000 staff, had threatened to begin industrial action in their dispute over pay. The ESB unions are demanding an 18.5% pay rise and a 20% stake in the company as part of a new partnership agreement.

The level of disruption to power supplies would depend on whether other unions at ESB would join the ESBOA, the union said.

Even without the support of other unions, the threatened action by the ESBOA could cause power cuts, particularly as fitters employed at power stations have pledged their support for the strike.