AN UNOFFICIAL strike by Bord na Móna workers at a Co Longford power station is set to continue after staff rejected proposals to return to work.
A ballot of the 40 suspended transport workers at the Lough Ree power station in Lanesboro was taken yesterday.
The workers went on strike more than a week ago over payment of overtime during a period when the power station was closed for extensive repairs.
Bord na Móna had agreed to redeploy workers and pay them wages while the plant closed for about four months.
Workers have lost out on between €70 and €150 a week in overtime payments as a result because they were not delivering peat to the station at night when it was closed. The plant reopened four weeks earlier than expected on August 12th and workers were due to go back to work on full pay.
The workers refused to return to work and bring peat to the station. They were suspended last week by Bord na Móna without pay.
A spokesman for Bord na Móna yesterday urged all of the workers to return to work immediately.
They were due to go before the Labour Relations Commission on September 15th to deal with their grievances but this will not happen if the action continues.
A spokesman for the commission said yesterday it was still willing to engage with workers on that date but not while unofficial action was ongoing.
Workers have held talks both with the unions and the company over the past week. The strike is against the wishes of the unions which favour the official arbitration route. The non-payment of overtime when the station was closed is the main issue of concern for the workers.
However, it is understood that there are a number of “local” issues which the workers would like to bring before the commission.
