Eircell's mobile phone network is not expected to suffer tomorrow when the deadline for industrial action from Eircom's group of union's is reached, writes Padraig Yeats.

Neither side has budged so far in the row between Eircom and its unions over who should compensate 1,200 employees who transfer to Vodafone for leaving the Eircom employee share option plan (ESOP) prematurely. It will cost the departing employees about £45,000 (€57,138) each in future shares.

The situation remains volatile but informal contacts are continuing between the two sides and it is possible a formal meeting could take place as early as today. The Communications Workers' Union, with by far the largest membership in Eircom and Eircell, has taken the strongest line in the dispute. Some of its members have already engaged in limited industrial action.

The likelihood of further limited action will increase from tomorrow if a resolution is not found. The company has proposed changing the share option plan rules to allow employees joining Vodafone to remain members, or speeding up the notional allocation of shares so that Eircell employees would be eligible to cash in their full shareholding at a later date.