Polish Moneypoint workers to be paid

Industrial action at the Moneypoint power plant looks to have been avoided this evening with the news that 200 Polish workers will receive a goodwill payment of €600,000 as well as a guarantee of work back in Poland.

The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) is to consider the proposals after they were put forward this evening in talks hosted by the Labour Relations Commission, and involving the ESB, German firm Lentjes and Polish subcontractor ZRE Katowicz.

The workers will be paid by Lentjes and the remainder of the approximately eight weeks wages they are owed will be made up from the state insolvency fund when ZRE Katowicz (Ireland) closes.

ZRE Katowicz has also offered the workers jobs in Poland, with a commitment that their flights home will also be paid.

There has also been a agreement by both the ESB and the TEEU to "fully commit themselves to achieving appropriate contractor employment standards" in the future.

The proposals will be considered by the workers concerned early next week.

The dispute arose after a contract for Polish subcontractor ZRE Katowicz was terminated and the workers told they were no longer needed.

ZRE had been retained to do scaffolding work by Lentjes.  The German firm had been appointed by the ESB to carry out a €380-million environmental refit of the plant.

When the workers sought their unpaid wages, none of the three companies were willing to accept responsibility. The TEEU maintained that the workers were owed up to eight weeks wages, including holiday pay and payment in lieu of notice.