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MINISTER PAT RABBITTE has asked the Labour Relations Commission to intervene in the dispute at the ESB.
The Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resource has said that any power disruptions as a result of the dispute would be “out of all proportion” to the issues involved.
The ESB Group of Unions has given notice of strike action on 16 December in a dispute over the company’s pension fund. Several days of discussions between unions and management have taken place but no resolution has been found.
Education Ruairí Quinn had earlier told the Dáil that government would consider intervening in the ESB dispute if no agreement was reached.
That intervention came this evening from Rabbitte:
It is unthinkable that our economic recovery should be jeopardised, domestic consumers inconvenienced and our country’s reputation undermined by a power disruption that appears to be out of all proportion to the issues in dispute.
“I have therefore this evening requested the Labour Relations Commission to convene the parties at the earliest possible time,” he saod.
Rabitte said that he hoped that the LRC would be able to “clear up any uncertainty as early as possible”.
As yet there has been no response from either side following the Government’s request.
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ESB won’t be happy with anything other than their pensions topped up….
I seriously hope the LRC tell them to grow up and face the fact the country as a whole has reduced pensions if any at all so be grateful otherwise they’ll have to live with the knowledge that any deaths or illnesses lie squarely on their shoulders and their shoulders alone.
Greed should get you nothing and holding the country hostage when all thats wrong was the value of your pensions are not as high as you thought is a disgrace!!!!
I have to commend ESB for confronting our government on this issue.
On the other hand, the damage to the economy would be catastrophic.
Feedback from other EU countries is already of a negative nature.
This just confirms a reluctancy to invest in Ireland in view of a pending power outage.
Talk about leaving it to the last minute.
Michael
I think you must be intellectually challenged as the Strike notice doesn’t expire until December 16th and today is the 5th. The reality is that the LRC will have to call for an interim Valuation of the ESB Pension Fund as independent economists are suggesting that Ogle and his comrades are deliberately facing down the Company at a time when the Pension Scheme may actually be in surplus.
In fact when we look at the sixteen per cent of wages contributed to the Fund by the Employer and the five hundred million Euro that is being provided as a too up then these Trade Unionists can be seen for the blood suckers they are.
I have repeatedly said that an electricity strike would result in deaths whether that is from hypothermia or the inability to run something like a dialysis machine but these greed merchants don’t care.
Guaranteed employment and some of the highest wages in the country and a platinum pension fund isn’t enough for the sick Lefties in Irish Society.
Strikes in our Utility Services must be banned in law and employees must be held accountable just as Reagan did with Air Traffic Controllers.
Richie, no not I challenged, just could not give a flying Fcuk for the ESB unions, or labour/FG coming to the rescue.
If this government puts one penny of taxpayers money into this past its sell by date model of electricity generation and transmission monopoly then they more than deserve to be thrown out on their ear.
This would only parallel the insanity of sinking billions into a defunct banking model.
The Trade Union promoting this unjust strike should be fined E100,000 per day .
This Trade Union is NOT living in the real world!
Time for legislation to fine and imprison the Trade Union bosses who unjustly promote this strike!
Trade Unionists do not run the Country.
dont think the esb workers will be to happy with the LRC’s recommendations,,,,so it will be lights out on 16th december,,,hope there arent too many casualties as a result of it
Good to see the usual optimism sprawl here
It is typical and common for public service unions to reject LRC recommendations. Most recent example was unions in Dublin Bus dispute. Many PSUs do not realise how good they have it compared to private sector, even when advised by a third party such as LRC.
So I call it realism.
so if am elderly person freezes to death, Rabitte terms it an inconvenience
Jacqueline don’t think we can blame Rabitte on this one. If anyone dies or is injured in any way due to a strike by the ESB unions then let all the strikers be in no doubt it will have been the fault of their union. Not government
Rabitte made the statement !!
The strike wont happen its all posturing
From the picture it looks like Trotter’s Independent Trading will be running the power here from monday week.
God help us all.
The Rabbitte can run but he can’t hide roll on the general election.
At last/least he’s doing something right
Near time they got moving, the uncertainty has caused problems as we saw one comment here today saying that frozen food could not be purchased as the risk was too great. We have not heard how seasonal workers will fare out which is a shame.
Just fire them :)
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