Unions and management at Eircom yesterday formally accepted proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to avert threatened industrial action at the company.
Under the deal, the company will pay a 2 per cent increase due under the terms of the national agreement, Towards 2016, "as soon as practicable".
Staff at Eircom are expected to receive this money, backdated to the beginning of May, from the middle of next month.
The deal will involve unions at the company agreeing immediately "to carry out constructive engagement" with a change programme proposed by Eircom management with a view to a prompt finalisation of agreement.
"The union side will respond ideally within 20 working days of each proposal being tabled," the LRC proposal states.
Under the agreement, unions and management have given a commitment to adhere to the private sector pay provisions of the national agreement and to "uninterrupted operation of the partnership structures in Eircom".
The dispute centred on a failure by Eircom, owned by Babcock & Brown, to pay the 2 per cent pay increase under the national agreement.
