ESB workers at Moneypoint power station in Co Clare have called off a day of protest due for today after three Polish employees who were allegedly dismissed for highlighting the underpayment of workers were provided with new jobs at the plant.
It is understood that the ESB had been working behind the scenes with the main contractor on the site, German firm Lurgi Lentjes, to help ensure the three were not sent back to Poland.
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) and other unions had planned to hold a demonstration this morning following unsuccessful attempts by the union to organise an industrial ballot on the issue yesterday. The union represents around 60 per cent of the 900 people employed in or around the power station.
TEEU regional secretary Pat Guilfoyle said the agreement of Lurgi Lentjes, which is involved in the €350 million refurbishment of the power plant, to employ the "sacked" shop steward and his two colleagues meant there was now no need for the protest to go ahead at Moneypoint.
ZRE Katowice, the Polish sub-contractor which had employed the men, has insisted the contracts of the three came to an end and that none of them had been sacked. When the original underpayments controversy arose three weeks ago, ZRE admitted to "limited" underpayments and said any shortfalls would be made good. The TEEU claims this money has not been repaid.
The union said yesterday it is to meet ZRE tomorrow in relation to outstanding issues, including arrears due to the sacked workers.
ZRE has also agreed to pay outstanding arrears to all employees by April 17th.
It claims that in total 66 Polish workers with ZRE were receiving €5.20 an hour.
The national minimum wage is €7.65 an hour, but the workers concerned are entitled to a legal minimum of €18.97 an hour under the construction industry's registered employment agreement
Earlier yesterday the TEEU had claimed that plans to hold an industrial ballot were put on hold due to an environment of "fear and intimidation" in the company.
However, an industrial relations spokesman for ZRE said, as far as he was aware, there had been no intimidation of workers. Instead, employees had been told a vote in favour of industrial action could result in the abandonment of the contract.
"Workers would have been told that the company is at a critical crossroads and, depending on the way things go, it may have no other option but to go back to Poland and everyone would lose their job."
