Workers at the ESB want to increase their shareholding in the company from 5% to almost 20% in a new internal partnership agreement to be negotiated in the new year.
Today delegates from the ESB Group of Unions decided to enter talks with ESB management and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to formulate a deal to replace the current partnership agreement PACT which expires in July.
ESB Group of Unions chief Paddy Reilly said that unions were entering such talks as shareholders in the company, with a view to expanding their current 5% shareholding.
Mr Reilly said he expected an agenda for talks to be set prior to the new year, with the first bilateral meetings taking place in early January. He expects the talks to be concluded by the end of February.
Mr Reilly said he was optimistic that the partnership model employed by the ESB, the Group of Unions and the Department could continue to function and that industrial peace would prevail into the new year and beyond.
