ESB workers to hold strike ballot

SIX THOUSAND ESB employees will this week hold a ballot for strike action.
Workers are unhappy with the Government proposals for the ESB contained in the Energy White Paper which includes provision to transfer ownership of the electricity transmission grid to Eirgrid. This will reduce the ESB’s level of power generation from 27 per cent of 44 per cent of the total energy output.
One union representative said:
“The company is probably worth some €3 billion to €5 billion. Now they are making us hand over a billion’s worth of assets to Eirgrid. The net effect of the White Paper and its asset-stripping is that it will reduce the value of the company to €2 billion.
“The workers are 5 per cent shareholders in the company. One of our concerns is that the asset-stripping will mean the company will not have the assets to support our pension scheme.”

Classroom assistants talks to end

TALKS involving the long-running dispute between classroom assistants in the North and employers are to end this week.
The talks include the unions, management and the Labour Relations Agency and it is understood that not enough progress has been made on the issues that will prevent further industrial action.
Up to 3,000 members of the NIPSA union may resume strike action on 5 November if the talks end in complete failure. They are fighting to retain a 32.5-hour working week, a special needs allowance and recognition of NVQ qualifications. 

 Book-binding workers still waiting for pay

WORKERS at the centre of a dispute this summer with employers O’Reilly Book-binders, County Wicklow, are still waiting to be paid their redundancy packages, it emerged this week.
The owner of the company, Richie Geraghty, created problems for the workers in getting their pay as he never appointed a liquidator or put the company into receivership when it was in financial difficulty.
It is understood that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has stepped in and that arrangements for the redundancy payments to be given to the workers are in place.
A SIPTU representative for the employees, Shane McKean, said:
“It has been a long, drawn-out process but it looks like it may be finally coming to an end.”

Prison staff ballot on strike action

PRISON OFFICERS in the 26 Counties are being balloted for strike action because of Department of Justice plans to have them searched before starting work.
The Prison Officers’ Association (POA) said that this is just one of a number of security measures announced by the department to be implemented by the Prison Service.
Recording time clocks (for ‘clocking in’) have been moved behind the search areas so now officers will have to be searched on their own time before clocking in, contrary to previous agreements between the Prison Service and the POA.
The strike ballot being conducted by the POA will finish on 19 November.

Bank of Ireland agrees new pension scheme

THE Bank of Ireland and unions have agreed to a new pension scheme that will resolve a long-standing dispute.
The row centred on the bank’s closure of a defined benefits pension scheme to new entrants and offered them a new scheme that transferred risk to future returns to the employee.
A new life balance scheme has been drafted which will contain elements of a defined benefit pension savings scheme and a personal investment account.
Staff who joined the bank since October 2006 will be given an opportunity to join the old defined benefits scheme for a limited period.