The Secretary of the ESB Group of Unions, Paddy Reilly, has said that the group's demand for an increased employee shareholding in the company remains on the table, despite calls from the ATGWU for them to shelve the matter.
He said the group had accepted an integrated package produced by the National Implementation Body, which included the shares issue.
He said all of those aims were achievable and the group of unions is committed to pursuing them as its stated policy.
Mr Reilly also pointed out that the ESB Officers' Association, not the ATGWU, is now the largest union in the ESB.
ESBOA General Secretary Tony Dunne said the ATGWU was entitled to its view, but that it was not the position of the Group of Unions either collectively or individually.
It was still backing the demand for an employee stakeholding in the company.
The ATGWU had called on other unions to shelve their demand for an increased shareholding in the company to allow other pressing pay and pension issues to be addressed.
Talks between management and unions on the future of the company collapsed last Friday.
Problems to be addressed included an increased employee shareholding in the company, a half billion euro deficit in the company's pension fund, as well as pay and restructuring issues.
However, the Government has consistently reiterated that there is no question of additional employee shares unless the company is privatised, and that it has no plans to do so.
The ATGWU said the shareholding question has now become an obstacle to progress on the other pension and pay issues.
The ATGWU Regional Organiser, Brendan Ogle, said the Government had made it clear that it did not want to give members more shares.
The ESB said it remained committed to discussions with the group of unions through the facilitator Peter Cassells and the current industrial relations process which had served the company well.
