ESB unions cleared way for strike vote in July

ESB workers will be balloted for the right to take any defensive measures “up to and including strike action” if the Government goes through with its plan to sell off the company.

In a clear warning to those in power, the Unite trade union warned it has already passed a motion allowing its members to vote to strike if the sell-off occurs.

A spokesperson for the union said all worker groups at the company agreed to the potential strike action plan, which was detailed in a motion put forward in July at the biennial conference of the ESB Group of Unions.

The motion called for “the maintenance of ESB as a publicly owned asset”; and for the allowance of “industrial action, up to and including strike action in the event of steps being taken to implement any further asset sale, disposal, transfer or divestment” of the firm.

This strike action, if voted on, would be the “full withdrawal of labour”.

Unite’s Jimmy Kelly said: “The will of the meeting was very clear that the short-term gain from a fire sale of the ESB is far outweighed by the loss of energy security, loss of dividend for the taxpayer and the loss of services such as we have seen this week in repairing the network in adverse conditions.

“As a result of [the] Cabinet decision relating to the sale of some part of the ESB, we will now begin plans to ballot our members.”

The union’s stance was made clear after senior Government officials agreed to sell a minority stake in the ESB in an effort to meet the demands of the EU/IMF.

This financial deal states that Ireland should raise at least €2 billion from asset sales in a bid to reduce its debt.

The ESB, valued at €4bn in 2009, is considered the state’s prime asset, and a minority stake would be expected to raise several hundred million, depending on the size of the stake.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte announced the decision in the Dáil.

Mr Rabbitte said that, while he found himself in an undesirable position, “the survival and viability of the economy” were at risk.

However, he said a minority stake did not mean the country is “handing over control” of the valuable state asset to an external group.

The Green Party and Sinn Féin have criticised the plan to sell off a stake in the ESB as a move which could cause even further damage to the country’s perilous financial situation.

“We have consistently argued that it makes economic sense to maintain the existing state shareholding in the ESB and Bord Gáis,” said the Green’s leader, and former minister, Eamon Ryan.

“Both companies should play a key role in our economic recovery through investment in new renewable power supplies and energy saving measures.