There are hopeful signs that a threatened ESB strike, planned to start on Monday, can be averted.
Proposals have been sent to ESB management and unions.
The National Implementation Body has recommended referring the dispute to the Labour Court, which will put in place a process to deal with all the issues in dispute.
Pay, pensions, organisational change and an employee equity stake in ESB are all under dispute at the company.
It is expected that the Labour Court machinery would include elements requiring the assistance of a facilitator with appropriate expert support.
It is understood that the Labour Court could be available to meet the parties tomorrow evening.
An ESB spokesperson said that the company accepted the recommendations outlined in the proposal.
The spokesperson said that the company believed the proposals contained a reasonable framework to deal with issues of concern to all parties.
The proposals follow bilateral meetings earlier today between the ESB group of unions and ESB management and the NIB.
Following the announcement of the proposals, the NIB has requested for the ESB Officers' Association to urgently reconsider its proposed industrial action.
