ESB Network Technicians are picketing again today.
The members of the Independent Workers Union have been on a work-to-rule since last week and they continue their action from this morning.
The union’s not recognised by ESB Networks who have confirmed they are taking a case against them in the High Court seeking damages.
The ESB says there has only been a limited impact to electricity customers.
Brian Baitson’s an ESB Network Technician and Strike Committee Chair of the IWU and he’s been telling KCLR News “Across the country, there’s 600 NTs on strike duty on depots and work locations due to the fact the company won’t sit down and be involved in consultation on the out-sourcing of work which we have to adhere to as part of the agreement”.
He adds “Basically what happens is every year in January the company’s meant to sit down locally with its staff and consult with regards to outsourcing but since 2015 they’ve moved from sitting down and consulting with us to just briefing us on all the work that they were outsourcing, they’ve changed what was an existing agreement”.
And Mr Baitson says you can expect to see picket lines locally too, noting “In Carlow and Kilkenny they’ll be on the depots, the ESB depots in Carlow and Kilkenny, you’ll see a number of NTs, they’ll be working shifts, there’ll be a number of NTs in the morning then there’ll be a change in the afternoon for the other, second half of the day”.
