THE dispute between Irish Life and its sales executives has moved into a critical phase following the total breakdown of talks last night. Irish Life says it will now step up moves sack employees who do not comply with new work practices.
The company has already issued around 15 dismissal notices to employees following disciplinary hearings. The employees, part of the 420 strong workforce affected, are refusing to work to new structures which the company maintains are necessary as part of a reorganisation plan.
Talks aimed at finding a formula to resolve the row collapsed after eight hours yesterday. Manufacturing Science Finance (MSF), the union representing the field sales force (known as PFAs), said management negotiators had returned after a break in talks and said they were going away to consider their position as to whether there was any basis for further talks.
No talks are planned over the weekend, although both sides maintain that they are willing to talk. MSF national secretary, Mr John Tierney, accused the company of being the people taking industrial action.
"We were still trying to find a formula to move talks towards finding a settlement," he said. "We thought we were near one, but they broke off the talks."
An Irish Life spokesman said the employees' negotiating committee had shown a complete unwillingness to renegotiate the issues. He said the company had made significant modifications to its position to allow talks to take place.
"We believe the PFAs are walking away from their contracts," the spokesman said "and we intend to accelerate the disciplinary process.
"We intend to take them off the payroll as a matter of urgency, given the fact that they are no longer working for us."
The spokesman said the company had been prepared to allow the "old relationship" which the PFAs had had with their managers to allow a breathing space for talks aimed at finding a settlement to take place. However, he said, they had refused to do this.
This appears to be one of the sticking points between the sides. The negotiating committee maintained that yesterday's talks had not concentrated on what the new roles the PFAs are being asked to fulfil will entail.
The PFAs have already overwhelmingly rejected a previous formula put forward by its negotiating committee. Mr Tierney has said that this is because there is a complete lack of trust of management among the PFAs.
Although both sides said they were willing to talk again next week, Irish Life said that the talks "would have to be a lot more meaningful than they were today. They were a complete waste of time".
