The most senior representatives of the worker-owned trust that controls 20.6 per cent of Eircom failed to attend a special board meeting yesterday that was convened to discuss the telco's business strategy.

The strategy meeting at the Eircom headquarters in St Stephen's Green, which continues today, is seen as a significant one for the telco's board as it is the first since the collapse of takeover talks with Swisscom. It is being chaired by Sir Anthony O'Reilly and addresses crucial issues for the company such as the integration of the Meteor mobile business.

The meeting, which was postponed during the failed talks with Swisscom, had been scheduled for several days. This led some informed observers to question why two of the three Employee Share Ownership Trust (Esot) representatives on the board did not make alternative arrangements.

However, sources close to the Esot made light of the non-attendance at the meeting of the Esot chairman and Eircom vice-chairman, Con Scanlon, and John Conroy, head of Merrion Stockbrokers and Esot adviser.

Eircom sources said their non-attendance was no surprise.

Neither were at the Eircom meeting because the Esot was conducting its own meeting with its own advisers.

The trust was represented at the Eircom meeting by Cathal Magee, the company's head of retail and who acts for the Esot in his capacity as board member.

Sources close to the trust dismissed as "absolute rubbish" any suggestion that the body was pursuing or planning to pursue a different strategy to that of the company.

The trust has hired the Boston Consulting Group to advise it on strategy.

However, the Esot sources said that this decision was intended to be a positive contribution to the company's strategy discussion and was not planned to be contentious.

An Eircom spokesman declined to comment, saying that the company never spoke about the business of its board. Mr Scanlon also declined to comment last night.

However, sources close to Eircom said that Mr Scanlon and Mr Conroy sent their apologies to the meeting yesterday and will attend the second part of the meeting today.

The Eircom sources said the non-attendance of Mr Scanlon and Mr Conroy arose simply because of a "diary clash".

The same explanation was offered by sources close to the Esot.