Eircom workers serve strike notice on company

EIRCOM workers yesterday served strike notice on the company, meaning thousands of homes and businesses could be without communications by as early as next Friday.

Eircom and unions representing its 6,500 workers have accepted an invitation from the Labour Relations Commission to meet on Monday, but if no agreement can be reached the action will go ahead before the end of next week.

The dispute is over what workers see as the firm’s failure to pay a 2% wage increase due under the national wage deal. The company wants this to follow talks with unions on new work arrangements. The unions say they are prepared to engage in talks but only after they secure the increase.

A strike will also affect phone companies that operate off the Eircom network. They will face difficulties if the Communications Workers’ Union members do not fix problems on the system.

The union’s general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick said: “My view is that when the LRC see what the company is looking for they will agree that it is off-side.”

Last night Eircom welcomed the LRC’s invitation to participate in talks.

It said it was bemused with the unions’ “off and on again” decisions to proceed with notice of industrial action, due to start 12.01am on July 19. It said the decision is a blatant disregard of the union’s obligations under the Towards 2016 deal. The fallout

Other phone companies that will be affected by strike action at Eircom.

Smart Telecom

BT Ireland

Perlico

Strencom

Vartec

Carphone Warehouse

Verizon

Colt Telecom

Imagine broadband