Eircom has said the decision by unions to serve strike action today over a pay dispute shows "blatant disregard" for their obligations under the national partnership agreement.
The Communications Workers' Union (CWU) and Impact served seven-days strike notice on Eircom today.
As a result, industrial action at the company could start from next Thursday. In a bid to avoid this, the Labour Relations Commission today called all four unions at the company and Eircom management to a meeting to discuss the issues at the company next Monday afternoon.
Talks between the two sides over Eircom's failure to pay a 2 per cent pay increase due under the national wage agreement broke down yesterday.
In a statement this evening, Eircom said it welcomed the LRC's invitation to participate in talks on Monday.
"The company will seek to fully engage with the unions in an attempt to reach an amicable settlement," it said.
"The company is bemused with the unions' 'off and on again' decisions today to proceed with notification of industrial action, due to start 12.01 am Thursday, 19 July. The decision to proceed is a blatant disregard of the unions obligations under the national Towards 2016agreement, which they committed to last November."
An Eircom spokesman said yesterday that there was still time to have rational discussions at the LRC. The company also said it was concerned that "certain CWU officials may be pursuing an undisclosed objective, perhaps to secure pay outcomes inconsistent with Towards 2016".
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