Talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) are continuing tonight but a planned picket of the Moneypoint power station by ESB workers which could disrupt power supplies is still scheduled for 7am tomorrow.
The discussions between the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), ESB, German firm Lentjes and sub contractors ZRE Katowice succeeded in deferring the picket early this morning when all parties acknowledged that 200 Polish workers were owed up to eight weeks wages.
It has yet to be resolved who actually owes the money to the workers.
The TEEU's Eamon Devoy said they were playing "pass the parcel" and there was a moral responsibility to pay up. Both the ESB and Lentjes maintained they had no outstanding payments to make, while ZRE claims they could not afford to pay.
The LRC proposals worked out this morning provided for:
- Payment of eight weeks' wages for all 200 workers.
- Continued employment with ZRE at another power plant in Poland for those wishing to continue working with the company.
- A commitment from the ESB to put in place procedures to ensure a similar situation could not arise.
Finalised proposals, on which the workers will be balloted, are yet to be given to the union.
Mr Devoy said there are a "bundle of pay issues" to resolve, including wages, pension funds, holiday pay and union fees.
The dispute arose after a contract for Polish subcontractor ZRE Katowice was terminated and the workers told they were no longer needed.
ZRE had been retained to mainly do scaffolding work by a German firm, Lentjes, which had been appointed by the ESB to carry out a €380-million environmental refit of the plant.
When the workers sought their unpaid wages, none of the three companies were willing to accept responsibility.