A strike by ESB network technicians is expected to be called off this evening following an intervention by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu).
Up to 1,200 ATGWU members had been on strike for the past two days over the role of outside contractors in the company's network renewal programme.
Last night the union's leader, Mick O'Reilly, endorsed a call for them to return to work after clarifications were secured by Ictu general secretary David Begg.
The development was announced following a two-hour meeting at Ictu's office in Dublin attended by Mr Begg, Mr O'Reilly, Ictu president Peter McLoone, TEEU leader Owen Wills and Siptu president Jack O'Connor.
The TEEU and Siptu also represent ESB network technicians but were not involved in the strike.
The ATGWU strike committee last night welcomed Ictu's "positive" assistance, and said an emergency meeting of the union's network technicians' executive to consider the development would take place at 6pm today.
It would be a major surprise, however, if the strike is not called off given Mr O'Reilly's decision to approve a return to work.
Moves to end the strike began following a meeting of Ictu's national executive council in Dublin, which agreed that Mr Begg should contact the three unions concerned.
He was subsequently in contact with the Commission for Energy Regulation and ESB management before a formula to end the dispute was agreed at the meeting with Mr O'Reilly and the other union leaders.
In a statement Ictu said the meeting noted the energy commission had clarified the parameters of a new expenditure programme for ESB Networks for the period 2006 to 2010.
Mr Begg had also advised the meeting that ESB management had confirmed negotiations on how this expenditure programme should be resourced, and the extent to which contractors would be involved, could now take place.
A programme of meetings with unions at the company could begin on October 12th, he told the three union leaders. "In these circumstances the meeting proposed that ATGWU members should return to work and continue to operate the provisions of the Pact agreement until it is replaced by a new agreement."
The Pact is a partnership agreement negotiated at the ESB in 2001 and which was due to run until July 2004. Under the deal unions had agreed to the use of external contactors in the ESB's network renewal programme, but the ATGWU argued the Pact was no longer in place.
The union also claimed contractors were being used to do "core work" outside the terms of the Pact agreement.
About 1,700 external contractors are at present involved in the delivery of a €3.6 billion programme to upgrade and modernise the ESB's distribution network. They work alongside 2,200 staff technicians, more than half of whom are represented by the ATGWU.
The position now is that ATGWU technicians will return to work while a new agreement on the use of contractors is negotiated.
The ESB said it was pleased the strike was at an end, and that existing procedures for engaging with unions representing network technicians would continue.
The strike yesterday caused no disruption to existing ESB customers. About 40 local breakdowns were repaired without delay.
Some planned new connections, however, had to be cancelled, while there was no work for a number of contractors.
