Eircom strike looms as talks fail

DISRUPTIVE strike action before the end of the week at Eircom remained likely last night after seven hours of talks between the company and its workers failed to resolve their differences.

The Labour Relations Commission met with both sides separately throughout the evening to try to find common ground on the dispute, which centres around a 2% pay increase due to the 6,500 workers under Towards 2016. However, shortly after 9pm, they adjourned for the evening.

Steve Fitzpatrick of the Communications Workers Union, which represents the bulk of the staff, said the only good news is that the talks have not broken down — yet.

Eircom is willing to give the pay increase, but first it wants the unions to negotiate on new working arrangements that it sees as vital due to increasing competition in an industry where it is fighting for market share.

The union is willing to negotiate on the working conditions but only when it has received the pay increase, which was due on May 1.

In the meantime, however, the threat of strike action, to start at 12.01am on July 19, still stands.