Talks on an overall agreement within the ESB were at an advanced stage last night and there is growing optimism that full consensus could be reached over the weekend or by Tuesday at the latest, according to informed sources.
By the close of negotiations last night unions representing some 7,500 employees had reached agreement with management on the company's Programme for Action on Competitiveness and Transformation (PACT).
Continuing discussions will focus on some 370 key maintenance workers and instrumentation technicians to pave the way to overall consensus.
The ESB had concluded a deal with some 2,500 network technicians by the start of yesterday's negotiations as a prerequisite to initiating its £2.2 billion infrastructural investment programme. This deal was in place prior to difficult bargaining with unions representing the maintenance day workers in Powergen, the ESB's all-important power generation division - as well as a number of smaller groups outside Powergen.
Consensus among the Powergen employees on proposed rationalisation, the use of outside contractors and flexible work practices must be in place before the final agreement is secured, however.