esb strike?

MrNuked

Are the ESB going on strike? Does anyone know yet?

Only Human

hmmmm....... my dad works at the ESB Head Office and ive heard no news about this strike? ill ask him about it and get back to you tho

MrNuked

They said on the radio that they were going to decide whether to strike today. Only Dublin would be effected I think. It was the first I heard of it too. They said we may be "looking forward to a summer of candles and cold suppers". The whole summer!?

Agent Smith

if you have power, then no, not yet

Only Human

My dads an enginer one of the 600 engineers in the ESB out of 8000 (this is of no relevanceim just boasting ), and he was telling me that there its only the financial people who want to go on strike, the clarks. So even if they do go on strike it just means your ESB bills will be delayed. No one will be out of electricity

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/3473430?view=Eircomnet

Blackouts looming as 25pc of ESB staff prepare to strike
From:The Irish Independent
Saturday, 26th June, 2004

A QUARTER of all workers at ESB are set to strike over pay and shares in a fortnight in a move that could wreak widespread chaos on Ireland's electricity supply.

The ESB Officers Association (ESBOA), representing 2,000 clerical and administrative staff, broke away from the other unions within the 8,000-strong company to serve strike notice yesterday.

ESB has been in intensive talks with the group of unions for over a month, and said it was "gravely concerned" by the individual move by the ESBOA which it described as "totally unwarranted".

A statement from the company sought to reassure consumers there was no immediate threat to supply, but blackouts are possible should the dispute escalate.

Sources feared the ESBOA could form picket lines around power stations, which other unions would refuse to cross.

However, high-level talks between the union, mediators and ESB may yet avert the strike, scheduled for Monday, July 12.

A spokesman for ESB said: "There are industrial relations procedures open to the union, which we hope they will take up over the next few weeks and mitigate any possible effects on consumers."

He warned that a number of the ESBOA staff worked in contact centres and billing, which would have a limited effect on customers.

The threat of widespread electricity blackouts moved a step closer last night after unions in the ESB voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action.

More than 85pc of the workers in the company voted in favour of calling for industrial action after the failure of talks seeking a pay rise and a larger shareholding in the group.

Unions went into the pay talks with initial demands for a 20pc stake in the company and an 18.5pc pay rise, on top of national increases.

Helen Bruce

Guy:Incognito

"So we martch day and night by the old cooling tower, they have the plant but we have the power"

Spotty_Pr*ck

Originally posted by Only Human
..its only the financial people who want to go on strike, the clarks.

What's a "clark"?

Victor

Originally posted by Spotty_Pr*ck
What's a "clark"?

Half a pair of shoes

billy the squid

Monday is the day the strike is due to start from what I gather from RTE news website.

2000 workers going out on strike. would have thought that there were more than 8000 people working for the ESB but then what do i know.

bean

They want a "18.5pc pay rise and ownership of one-fifth of the valuable company. The pay demand is ambitious given that it is set at ten times current inflation and is over five times greater than the new 3.6pc annual pay deal negotiated by ICTU and IBEC last month."

And there is nothing that anyone can do to stop them getting anything they demand.

Eventually, union abuses like this will cause a backlash against all union organisations e.g. the US. Then companies will stop dealing with unions and we, the workers will suffer.



Greedy pr1cks

Sleepy

Eventually, union abuses like this will cause a backlash against all union organisations

Eventually? There already is. The unions have long since lost the support of the average working person in Ireland.

I hope the fuckers are sacked. That's what'd happen to you in the private sector if you went about acting like a petulant five year old.

Sleipnir

18.5% is just fcuking unbelieveable! Plus ownership of a 5th of the company?

It's OUR company, it belongs to each and every person on this island. How can they
suddenly think that a HUGE chunk of it belongs to them??!!?

I'm furious with these greedy fckuers.

Sleepy

I'm honestly getting to the point where I think that maybe banning unions is a good idea.

I'm honestly getting to the point where I think that maybe banning unions is a good idea.

Woohoo! You have my support. Between the bloody postal strike, and now the ESB, this country is starting a gradual slide into the rediculous.

ixoy

Originally posted by Sleepy
I'm honestly getting to the point where I think that maybe banning unions is a good idea.

Count me in on the ban too. 18.5%? FOAD. There's no justification for such a rise (and never mind the stake they want). And to hold us to ransom over it? To potentially damage tens of thousands of businesses, endanger people's livelihoods? Grrrrrr :mad:

billy the squid

It is too much to be asking for these people no doubt benefited from the various partnership agreements in the past so what are tehy complaining about.

I imagine that they will hold the country to ransom for a week and will get half of what theyare asking for. the fact that they are the only union doing this is proof that they are stepping out of line

Any idea when they start dividing the country into zones like in the other strikes probably friday or saturday i guess

Hobbes

Originally posted by Sleipnir
18.5% is just fcuking unbelieveable! Plus ownership of a 5th of the company?

Typical tactic used by government agencies. Ask for 1000 times more then what you want, then when they give you 100 instead you get what you want and it makes it look like they won.

jd

Originally posted by Hobbes
Typical tactic used by government agencies. Ask for 1000 times more then what you want, then when they give you 100 instead you get what you want and it makes it look like they won.

Works both ways - management are part of this dance too.

Big Ears

I say they should give a pay increase to those that dont strike , and look to replace the ones that do .

although it might be hard finding 2,000 workers in a short space of time .

ballooba

I work @ ESB. We are planning shock and awe!!!

Blackouts everywhere.




Nah, on work placement. On hols next week anyway so I'll miss all the fun. I can't see much disruption either way.

Obviously they are not actually looking for 18.5% aim high settle low.

They are looking at Eircom's ESOT I reckon. I'd say the ESB union boss is looking at that union boss from eircom who is now on the board of directors and has a huge shareholding along with his fellow employees.

His wife is probably whining in his ear:
'Your such a useless fúck, mary's huband is on the board of directors, why won't you buy me a new car/bag/dress/nurse's outfit'

Sherlock

Craft workers down in Moneypoint were recently a deal to get their average wages down from 95k p.a. to a miserly 87k a year, not sure if the lads will go for it.
Figures last week showed the average pay in the ESB is 67 k p.a.

On a related point I see they've stuck another application for a price rise of 12% that if granted would mean prices have risen by 40% since the electricty market was opened up.Isn't it bizarre that prices were supposedly raised by the regulator to attract new suppliers to the market.Normally you would expect that competition would drive prices down not up.Why didn't we tell the EU that we weren't bothered with de-regulation and we were happy paying below the EU average for our power?

ballooba

Originally posted by Big Ears
I say they should give a pay increase to those that dont strike , and look to replace the ones that do .

although it might be hard finding 2,000 workers in a short space of time .

Bit like Des Bishop documentary..

You arrive in on the tuesday because you were striking on monday...

There is some chinese bloke banging away frantically at your keyboard...

'You fúck off now. you gone. I working here .. piss off'