Electricity generation at the ESB's Moneypoint plant in Co Clare may be disrupted later today if a meeting between the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) and senior ESB management fails to result in assurances to 200 Polish workers at the plant.
The workers, some of whom have not been paid since the beginning of September, have been told their employer - a Polish sub-contractor - has lost the business and they should clear out their lockers at Moneypoint this morning.
At a meeting last night workers agreed unanimously that if senior management at the ESB failed to provide assurances over pay and job security this morning, a public protest meeting would be held at the plant. Workers voted to "take whatever action is necessary" to secure their rights.
The ESB's Moneypoint plant is the largest single supplier of electricity to the national grid, at times contributing up to 600MW or 40 per cent of national demand. While backup power would be available in the event of industrial action, blackouts could not be ruled out.
Workers acknowledged that full scale industrial action would require a formal seven day notice from the TEEU but a "public meeting" outside the plant might discourage other TEEU workers in the electricity generation sector from going into the plant.
About 200 workers, all of them Polish, were employed on the construction of an extension to the plant by Polish subcontractor ZRE Katowicz (Ireland) Construction.
The main contractor is Lentjes, which was retained by ESB International to carry out the work. Lentjes, based in Germany is an off-shoot of a Turkish company.
A spokesman for the ESB said yesterday it had made considerable efforts to secure the rights of the workers by "leaning" on Lentjes.
The spokesman warned any picketing of the Moneypoint plant would amount to "secondary picketing which as I understand it is illegal in this country".
He added that "we pay our turnkey contractor sufficiently so that they can pay their sub-contractors properly".
However, TEEU general secretary designate, Eamon Devoy, told The Irish Timeshe was to seek a meeting "directly with senior management at ESB" this morning, and would be seeking satisfactory assurances on the payment of wages and the transfer of the workers to any new employer.
Mr Devoy said "whatever differences exist between Lentjes and ZRE Katowicz is a matter for them. These workers should not be victimised as a result.
"At the very least they are legally entitled to their arrears of pay and to be offered employment with whomsoever receives the new contract."
Last May ZRE admitted underpaying workers. The TEEU claimed the company was paying workers €5.20 an hour, less than a third of the legally binding construction industry rate. The figures were disputed.