Recent industrial action by ATGWU

Statement by Chief Executive, Padraig McManus

As you are aware ATGWU initiated strike action which took place from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd September. I am disturbed and disappointed that this action could have affected services to our Networks customers and result in significant damage to ESB.

It is almost fifteen years since we have had such industrial action. Since then both management and unions have been committed to a partnership approach to resolving issues in the company. Working together, through agreements like CCR and PACT, we have agreed a huge amount of improvements and change in our business. This has brought benefits to staff, our customers and the company. Underpinning this has been our jointly agreed industrial relations procedures. ATGWU, together with the other unions, has played a key role in shaping and supporting this approach. It is now very disappointing that ATGWU chose to depart from this approach and took this totally unwarranted action.

The issue in dispute in ESB Networks is the status of our PACT agreement in relation to the use of contractors.

ESB had made every effort and was willing to deal with this issue through the normal agreed industrial relations procedures. In the case of this dispute the ATGWU took industrial action without exhausting these procedures.

I would urge all staff to consider the seriousness of the current situation and the implications for ESB and our customers.