Eircom workers have accepted the terms of a deal agreed with management to end a pay dispute and avert strike action.
The national executive of the Communications Workers' Union (CWU) this afternoon confirmed the union will accept the settlement terms proposed at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
The union said the settlement will result in the payment of a 2 per cent pay rise due to workers under the national pay agreement, which will be backdated to May 1st.
The CWU said it has agreed to enter into structured discussions with the company on future changes at Eircom. "We are satisfied with the terms of the settlement and are looking forward to moving on," said CWU general secretary Steve Fitzpatrick.
"At no stage did we seek anything more than this basic cost of living increase that workers in Eircom were rightly entitled to, and we are relieved to see that our stand has clearly been vindicated by the welcome intervention of the LRC.
"It is regrettable that it took so long for the company to agree to pay this cost of living increase."
He said the dispute had damaged morale among staff and he called on the company to set about repairing the damage.
"I hope that from this point forward, the company will agree to work within the boundaries of the partnership approach to industrial relations that has resulted in a successful and inclusive industrial relations environment in Eircom for the past 30 years," Mr Fitzpatrick added.
The CWU served strike notice on Eircom last Thursday over its refusal to pay the 2 per cent wage increase unless members agreed to work practice changes. The agreement came about through talks at the LRC on Monday and yesterday.
The company had sought to link payment of the increase to talks on work practice changes. Unions said they would not enter into discussions on the work practice reforms until the money was paid.
They contended that management was not permitted to set preconditions for the wage rise. They also maintained that the company only put forward its proposals for change after the date for the payment of the money.