A strike at cash delivery company Brinks Allied has been deferred until Monday to give the parties time to consider a Labour Court recommendation.
Workers at the company had planned to go on strike from today, in an escalation of the dispute which has disrupted ATM services in Dublin and elsewhere in the east.
The Labour Court met the company's union, SIPTU, and management on Tuesday and is due to issue a recommendation by today.
At a meeting yesterday with union representatives, the workers decided to defer the strike until Monday. Mr Kevin McMahon, SIPTU's security services branch secretary, said the decision had been taken out of deference to the court, which had asked both sides not to do anything to exacerbate the dispute as it prepared its recommendation.
He said union members would meet tomorrow at Liberty Hall in Dublin to consider the recommendation, before holding a secret ballot on whether to accept it. The deferral should give both sides adequate time to make informed decisions on the recommendation, he added.
The dispute began on July 30th when Brinks attempted to introduce new vehicles and work practices, which workers claimed would leave them more vulnerable during armed robberies.
Staff have not carried out deliveries since then, although they say they remain available to resume "normal working".
After initial disruption, particularly to cash machines at locations other than bank branches, the dispute has had limited impact on ATM services.
Ms Jennifer Chamberlaine of the Irish Payment Services Organisation said yesterday that 93 per cent of ATMs in the affected areas were functioning. Some 75 per cent of non-branch ATMs were operating, as well as 98 per cent of those at retail outlets and 95 per cent of branch machines.
