The ESB Officers' Association (ESBOA) has deferred next Monday's strike, following progress in talks this week. However, SIPTU is still pressing ahead with its proposed all-out strike on Wednesday and has invited the company to discuss emergency cover.
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the ESB board, worker-director Mr Joe La Cumbre, has issued a newsletter to employees in which he is highly critical of the management's current industrial relations practices.
"Producing glossy brochures and making fanciful statements about the merits of partnership will not win the hearts and minds of staff," he says.
He calls for a major shareholding in the company to be given to employees in return for radical changes in work practices. He suggests this should be similar to the 14.9 per cent employee share option agreed at Eircom. Otherwise, he says, employees will not accept the latest cost-cutting measures, including over 2,000 redundancies.
The ESBOA has not been made a firm offer by the company in response to its demand for a 16.5 per cent pay rise. Last night the ESBOA general secretary, Mr Willie Cremins, would only say that sufficient progress had been made in informal discussions to defer Monday's strike.
It is thought the company has offered 10 per cent in a deal similar to that almost concluded with network technicians. Finalisation of this deal has been delayed because of a row between SIPTU and the ATGWU over representation rights. Although SIPTU has fewer than 150 of the 2,000 workers concerned, it is seeking the right to represent them.
All 600 SIPTU members in the ESB have been balloted for strike action. If the strike goes ahead, production at Moneypoint and Poolbeg power stations would be affected. This would almost certainly lead to power cuts. The ICTU has been mediating between the two unions.