There will be no picketing at Naas races today after five hours of talks between the Irish Horseracing Authority and SIPTU last night resulted in new proposals being drawn up for striking Tote staff.
The introduction of the new Autote system today had become the focus of a dispute between the IHA and five members of the Tote technical staff who were unhappy with the new job conditions being put to them.
An official strike had been organised for today and groups such as the bookmakers clerks, the catering staff and some casual Tote staff had given assurances that they would not pass any picket.
However new proposals from the IHA will be put to the SIPTU members on Monday after a meeting between the two sides last night.
The SIPTU spokesman Liam Peppard said: "The strike is deferred. Changes have been made to the IHA's offer which are somewhat better than previously proposed. It was a constructive meeting but nothing has been ruled out yet."
The IHA spokeswoman Mary Fitzgerald said: "We are happy that the matter is resolved and that racing can go ahead at Naas without disruption."
It will be a welcome move for the Naas executive who had been concerned at how racing might have been affected.
"Pickets would cut into our attendance and we would even be concerned about racing going ahead," the course manager Margaret McGuinness had said yesterday afternoon.
Earlier this week, SIPTU had criticised the IHA for asking the five Tote staff to work at 210 race meetings in a year and for turning down a demand that each worker be given £1,500 a year extra in return.
"They seem to be willing to grind an industry to a halt over £7,500," said a spokesman.
The IHA believe that the new Autotoe system, which includes self service vending machines, will reduce their running overheads from 17 per cent to 12 per cent.
Beat All was pushed out in the Vodafone Derby betting last night after the colt pricked a foot on the gallops. However, connections were quick to stress that the problem is not thought to be serious. Beat All moved to the fore of the Vodafone Derby betting with an impressive win in a Listed race at Newmarket last month.
