Rhode decision could cost ESB dearly

An agreement reached with staff at the Rhode power station yesterday could mean the ESB will have to pay about € 10 million to workers at four other peat-burning stations which are due to close at the end of next year.

Workers at the Rhode plant in Co Offaly voted to accept an enhanced closure package by a margin of 64 to 2, with more than 30 workers not casting a vote.

Workers at the other plants are now expected to press for the Rhode package, one of the most generous ever offered by the ESB. There are almost 300 workers at the other plants and theoretically it could cost the ESB € 12 million if all 300 applied.

But yesterday ESB union and management sources said this was unlikely and that those under 47 were not eligible. If 80 per cent of workers took the deal it would cost about € 10 million.

The other peat-burning stations are in Lanesborough, Co Longford, Shannonbridge, Co Offaly, Bellacorick, Co Mayo and Cahirciveen, Co Kerry. While workers at Bellacorick and Cahirciveen, because of their age profile, are more likely to apply for an enhanced package, the younger staff at Shannonbridge and Lanesborough will probably opt for redeployment in other parts of the ESB, although many of them will have to retrained.

An ESB spokesman declined to discuss negotiations with staff at other plants, although he said the firm would deal with each station individually and on its merits.

Mr Paddy Reilly, secretary of the ESB group of unions, said the union would deal with the issue over the next 12 months. He said the specific situation in each station would be taken into account and the circumstances in Rhode did not necessarily translate to other stations.

Rhode has not produced any electricity since May 2001 after a worker was injured in an explosion and staff began expressing concerns about potential damage from asbestos. The workers have clocked in every day since.

Yesterdays ballot was conducted by post after concerns that a conventional ballot might be disrupted.

There have been reports in recent weeks of tension among workers at the plant.

Many workers remain unhappy with the offer and the decision of more than 30 not to vote is believed to have been a form of protest.

While several peat stations are closing, the company is currently building two modern peat stations in Shannonbridge and Lanesborough and these plants will take about 41 workers from other peat stations, but the rest of the 300 will either have to redeploy or take the enhanced package. There are about 100 workers in Lanesborough, 120 in Shannonbridge, 60 in Shannonbridge and fewer than 15 in Cahirciveen.

Compared to coal or gas stations, the peat plants are regarded as highly uneconomical, but it remains Government policy to make use of peat from Bord na Móna and the local employment provided by the plants is also regarded as important.