A controversial claim from unions for a 20 per cent staff shareholding in ESB has been put on the back burner for at least six months.

The demand, submitted last year along with a 18.5 per cent pay claim, has run into strong Government opposition and lack of agreement among unions on how to advance it.

The 9,587 staff members at the ESB currently have a 4.9 per cent stake, but unions wanted to add to this in case the Government moved to sell off some of the company.

However, the Government has strongly resisted the idea of transferring any more shares. It has said that equity could only be awarded to staff if there was a major "transaction" at the company.

Union leaders yesterday accepted that, with Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey reviewing the whole energy sector, progress on an enhanced staff shareholding was impossible at this time. A document circulated by Brendan Ogle, who represents ATGWU staff at ESB, said the issue could only be revisited when Mr Dempsey completed his review.

Paddy Reilly, secretary of the group of unions at ESB, said he did not believe the claim was dead, but he acknowledged it was parked. "It will come back on the table, it will resurface," he predicted.

The company's main problem at present is a €500 million pension deficit. Different ways of dealing with this have been advanced in negotiations, but there has been little agreement.

Now the former general secretary of ICTU, Peter Cassells, has attempted to restart talks by suggesting that pension and pay issues go before the ESB's own joint industrial council. Several unions have said they will attend these talks, but remain unhappy about the idea.

Mr Ogle said yesterday in a short paper outlining the current problems: "We do not see the council as a replacement for negotiations in the ESB. We do not believe that issues should be referred to the industrial council on which we are not in dispute and have not exhausted other negotiating machinery available to us".

Mr Ogle's paper makes it quite clear that his union is strongly against any plans for selling off or leasing out ESB plants.

"The ATGWU are opposed to any further privitisation or leasing of ESB assets. If this is what is proposed in any review and mandated to this or any future government, the ATGWU reserves the right to fight to protect our industry in public ownership and the jobs of our members likewise."

Mr Dempsey has said most elements of the energy market will be examined in his review, including the future of the ESB's 19 power stations.

However, he has indicated that privatising the transmission and distribution systems is highly unlikely.