Both sides in the dispute between electricians and employers have this evening accepted invitations to take the matter to the Labour Court.
The Labour Court hearing for arbitration in the dispute will begin at 10am tomorrow, and the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and the Association of Electrical Contractors Ireland (AECI) will attend.
The Labour Court will make a non-binding determination on the dispute, and sites may be reopened by Monday.
Kieran Mulvey, chief executive of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), said he was “confident this represents a formula to bring an end to the dispute.”
The decision to go to arbitration was agreed by parties on both sides during talks today.
The TEEU will call off pickets by Monday “subject to a satisfactory recommendation,” general secretary designate Eamon Devoy of the TEEU said last night. The executive council of the TEEU is to make an announcement after its meeting on Sunday to decide whether or not to call off the strike.
“Hopefully if it is a favourable recommendation this dispute will be over,” Mr Devoy said.
The dispute has caused serious disruption to the construction sector and manufacturing industry over the last five days.
President of the Electrical Contractors Association Fergus Frawley said he hoped the decision to refer the matter to the labour court would “pave the way” to getting its employees back to work and sites back to action.
Chris Lundy of the Association of Electrical Contractors of Ireland said he trusted that “the court will now be able to consider the fullness of our arguments and issue a favourable decision in favour of our contractors position”.
It is understood that talks broke down over the timing of the 4.9 per cent increase of €1.05 an hour would be paid. Talks today focused on getting the AECI to agree to arbitration.
Mr Devoy of the TEEU said: “I would like to thank the Labour Relations Commission for their assistance today in crafting a process that will allow the court to examine the issues.
"The LRC has already dealt with all the non-pay issues, which has helped clear the way for the court’s intervention.
“All three parties have also asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, to examine the issues giving rise to the dispute and the wider issues of public interest," he said.
“Given the urgency of the situation we have arranged a meeting of the union executive for Sunday to consider any proposal that might emerge from tomorrow’s court hearing."
Earlier this afternoon, talks between the parties resumed this afternoon at the LRC to try to resolve the dispute that has caused serious disruption to the construction sector and to manufacturing industry over the last four days. The latest session got under way at 3.30pm at the LRC.
LRC chairman Kieran Mulvey briefed Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan on the progress of the talks at a two-hour meeting last evening after which both agreed to continue the process.