Staff at a defunct ESB power station in Cahirciveen, Co Kerry, have voted to avert a "Rhode-style" stand-off by unanimously accepting a closure package, writes Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent.
The deal offers workers at the plant, which ceased operating last September, the same terms as those accepted by workers at the company's Rhode station in March.
For those leaving the company, this works out at up to €250,000. Alternatively, workers can avail of re-deployment elsewhere in the company.
The 14 workers at Cahirciveen had been turning up for work since problems with a cooling tower put the station out of commission in September.
The plant is the ESB's smallest power station and had been earmarked for closure this year in any event, under an agreement drawn up between management and unions two years ago.
The decision by workers at the much larger Rhode station in Co Offaly followed a two-year closure, during which the 104 staff had been turning up for work despite the fact that no electricity was being produced.
The ten permanent workers at Cahirciveen now have until June 13th to decide whether to opt for re-deployment or the severance package, which includes a ten-month retainer payment and €5,000 "in lieu of training", on top of the ESB's standard severance terms.
The full package is not available to the other four, temporary, staff, but they have been offered re-deployment.
A spokesman for the ESB stressed that the package had "not exceeded" that paid to the workers in Rhode.
He said the staff at Cahirciveen had been engaged in maintenance, care and security of the station, as well as training for re-deployment.
The overall cost of the closure package is estimated to be about €2.5 million. Similar terms are now expected to be offered to the 62 staff at the company's station in Bellacorick, Co Mayo, which is due to be closed next year.