Deferred ESB strike action may be back on

STRIKE action at one of the ESB’s largest power plants which was deferred in the early hours of yesterday morning, looked like it could be back on last night as the détente between union and employers appeared to be falling apart.

The strike by 200 Polish members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union was due to start at 7am yesterday but was called off following talks at the Labour Relations Commission.

The workers who were employed by Polish subcontractor ZRE Katowicz on the refurbishment of the ESB’s Moneypoint plant in Co Clare were let go at the start of the week after the main contractor of the refurbishment, German company Lentjes, dispensed with the services of ZRE. The men had not been paid for seven weeks.

The Poles threatened to picket outside the plant along with 50 of the TEEU’s permanent staff in Moneypoint until their jobs were reinstated and they were paid the money owed to them. Without the TEEU workers, the plant would have to close which would remove an eighth of the countries’ electricity supply.

However, by early yesterday morning the disruptive action appeared to be averted as the sides in the dispute came up with a proposal which offered:

* Payment of eight weeks’ wages for all 200 workers. * Continued employment with ZRE Katowicz at another Polish power plant for those who wished to stay with the firm.

* A commitment from the ESB to ensure there was no repeat occurrence of a situation which has left subcontractor employees unpaid.

* Arrangements to be made for special supplementary welfare payments of €250 to each worker — they were paid yesterday afternoon.

However, when the union and companies reconvened yesterday, problems remained, chiefly neither the ESB, nor Lentjes nor ZRE appeared willing to pay the wages.

Another set of talks was entered into but at time of going to press last night points remained unresolved and the TEEU was threatening that strike action was back on and due to begin at 7am this morning unless some breakthrough was achieved.