Industry and Employment Correspondent
ESB Networks has described as unlawful a 24-hour strike by some network technicians belonging to the Independent Workers Union.
The company said it plans to take legal action over the strike, which started this morning.
The union, which is not recognised by the ESB, has said the dispute centres on a lack of consultation over work to be outsourced to the private sector.
It has offered to defer the strike if the company agrees to go to the Workplace Relations Commission, which it has so far refused to do.
The Independent Workers Union claims to represent up to 500 of the 1,500 network technicians employed by ESB Networks.
LMFM By Simon Doyle The company has described the picketing as unlawful .
A 24 hour strike by
ESB workers part of a union which the company doesn t recognise is underway.
Independent Workers Union (IWU) has taken the action over a suspected lack of consultation over work to be outsourced to the private sector.
Workers, who were originally on a work to rule this week, are on the picket line this morning - including in Drogheda, Dundalk and Navan.
ESB has called the action unlawful as the claim that has not been made by the IWU to the company or the Labour Court.
ESB technicians in Limerick joined a 24-hour nationwide strike, setting up pickets at the utillity’s offices in Rosbrien this Friday. The strike, which ha.
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The strike action began at 8am and may stretch to further days of action next week
Local members of the Independent Workers Union say the ESB is not listening to them over concerns about work being outsourced to the private sector.
Pickets are continuing across the region by members of the Independent Workers Union in their dispute with the company, with pickets being staged at various depots since 8am.
Around 500 workers in total across the country are picketing today - including dozens locally.
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The 24-hour stoppage, which involves mostly technicians, has been condemned by the ESB as unlawful while more stoppages are being planned by IWU members next week.
ESB Networks taking legal action over industrial action
Updated / Thursday, 22 Apr 2021
17:43
ESB Networks said there had been limited impact to electricity customers as a result of the industrial action to date
Industry and Employment Correspondent
ESB Networks has described planned industrial action by network technicians belonging to the Independent Workers Union as unlawful and says it plans to take legal action over the matter.
In a statement this evening, ESB Networks says it is aware that the IWU members are currently engaged in a work to rule, which may escalate to a 24-hour strike from 8 o clock tomorrow morning.
The company confirmed that there has been limited impact to electricity customers as a result of the industrial action to date - but said it was responding as quickly and as safely as possible when faults occur.