ESB staff angry over €176m subsidy

WORKERS at the ESB have told the company its board willbe compromised if it agrees to subsidise large electricity users to the tune of €176 million at the behest of the Government.

Unions have also threatened they may pull out of partnership agreements with the company if the ESB board accedes to the Government request.

What particularly galls the electricity provider’s unions about the €176m demand is that the money will be used to give discounts to Large Energy Users (LEUs) which the ESB does not even supply. A large number are provided by the likes of Viridian, with which the ESB must compete.