ESB workers all set to reject White Paper

THE Government is to be left in no uncertain terms that ESB workers will not co-operate with its Energy White Paper — and that the unions have the power to stop its implementation.

The unions yesterday met with Minister for Communications Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey to outline their concerns with the paper, the key initiative of which is the transfer of the electricity transmission grid from the ESB to another State body, Eirgrid.

The ESB workers are concerned the Government has not done a meaningful cost analysis, that it will not lead to a reduction of prices to the workers, will not generate meaningful competition and, most importantly, it will lead to the evolution of the ESB into a lame organisation with devalued assets. They are the shareholders in those assets.