24/10/2007

Strike Threat Looms In Moneypoint Pay Row

Strike action is looming at a County Clare power station.

Although talks aimed at resolving the dispute between ESB and the Technical, Engineering & Electrical Union at the Moneypoint power plant in Co Clare are set due to resume at the Labour Relations Commission in Dublin today, the stakes are high.

The dispute centres on unpaid wages for 200 Polish workers at the power station. According to the TEEU, the workers - who were employed by the Polish company ZRE on the construction of a new power plant - have not been paid for six weeks and have not been told that their employment has been terminated.

The union in insisting on an agreement being reached over unpaid wages and job security for the Polish workers and have already served strike notice on ESB.

The strike action will go ahead on Thursday morning, if the dispute is not resolved.

A union spokesperson said that the workers deserved better than to be stranded without six weeks pay or jobs.

However, the ESB has claimed that it has met all its obligations to the workers, including giving proper payments to Lentjes, the main contractor at the plant, which sub-contracted ZRE to carry out mechanical works on the refurbishment project at Moneypoint.

Talks between ESB, ZRE and the TEEU on Tuesday ended with no agreement being reached. Reports described the talks as "difficult".

Representative from Lentjes are also expected to join today's talks.

(KMcA)


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