Union leaders in the ESB meet today to consider proposals aimed at averting a strike by 2,300 workers in the company from Monday, which would most likely result in power cuts.
The proposals were issued last night by the National Implementation Body after day-long meetings with the unions, ESB management and senior officials in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
The NIB is made up top level representatives of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the employers' body, IBEC, as well as senior Government officials. It recommended that a new talks process begin to address the issues that have arisen between the unions, the company and the Department.
While all the unions have balloted in favour of industrial action, only one, the ESB Officers' Association, has threatened to go on strike from Monday. It represents about 2,300 of the company's 8,000 staff.
Mr Tony Dunne, the union's general secretary, said the NIB's recommendation would be carefully considered today. "It may be that some elements will have to be clarified," he said. Mr Paddy Reilly, the group of unions secretary, welcomed "the promptness" of the NIB's statement and said a meeting of union officials and officers would take place today, ahead of a full group of unions meeting next week.
Another union source said the NIB proposals should prove sufficient to get the threatened strike averted. Talks between the ESB and unions, over their claim for an 18.5 per cent pay increase over the next three years, broke down last month. The two sides had also failed to agree on how to address a pension deficit of €530 million. The unions are also seeking an increase in the workers' stake in the company from the existing 5 per cent to 20 per cent.
The Minister for Communications, Mr Ahern, reiterated yesterday that such a proposal could only be considered in the event of the company being privatised or taking a strategic partner, and he said there were no plans for this to happen. Significantly, however, the NIB's recommendation included the shareholding as one of the issues to be discussed under a new talks process. In its statement, it said it was "acutely conscious" of the implications for Ireland of power cuts.
"Indeed, the publicity which has attended this threatened action has already caused damage," it said. It called on all parties to "take note of their responsibility" to maintain industrial peace under the Sustaining Progress partnership agreement, and requested the ESBOA to "urgently reconsider" its proposed action. A process was required, it said, which would enable real engagement on all of the issues.
"Accordingly, the NIB requests the Labour Court to examine and recommend the appropriate machinery to deal with the issues, which would include elements which would require the assistance of a facilitator with appropriate expert support."
