BORD NA Móna's imminent acquisition of Veolia's Irish waste management operations could see the State-owned company walk into an industrial relations row.

It is understood that 17 bin-truck drivers at Veolia's depot in Limerick are in dispute with the company in relation to the non-payment of a 2 per cent pay rise in January as the final phase of Towards 2016, the national pay deal that expired this year.

Drivers at all four of Veolia's depots in the State were told earlier this year that the payment would only be made if they signed new contracts of employment.

A letter from the company to staff informed them that the money would be paid on October 1st and backdated to January if the contracts were signed. It is understood that drivers in Cork, Dublin and Waterford have signed up and received their pay but the Limerick lads are holding out.

They claim a number of benefits will disappear under the new contracts, including being able to drive their trucks home at night and being able to dump their own domestic waste for free.

They also have loss of earnings claims in the system relating to a contract to serve a multinational company and Saturday working.

The workers are believed to be itching for industrial action but Siptu, the union representing them, has yet to go down that route.

It is perhaps no coincidence that the contracts were introduced in advance of Veolia's sale of the waste business. With a deal seemingly just a few weeks away, Bord na Móna is no doubt hoping the dispute isn't dumped on its doorstep.