The 12-week national strike by lift engineers ended yesterday and there will be a return to work this morning after the union and employers agreed to proposals put forward by an independent arbitrator.
A number of issues related to the resolution of the bitter dispute are to be referred to the Lifts Industry Forum. The independent facilitator, Mr Des Casey, appointed by the Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, recommended that the forum be established as a matter of urgency after consultation and agreement with the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), the employers, the ICTU and IBEC.
Mr Casey also suggested that any residual difficulties should be referred to the forum or, alternatively, be put to conciliation or referred to the Labour Relations Commission or Rights Commissioner for adjudication. The forum was proposed in a Labour Court recommendation to discuss future developments in the industry.
The parties agreed that the status quo in the area of existing benefits would continue to apply for a maximum period of three months, during which time the forum would address the matter.
It was also agreed that there would be no alterations to starting and finishing times, or other local working arrangements, without consultation, and subject to the normal requirements of the 39-hour week.
One issue on which there was substantial disagreement between the parties related to conditions of sub-contracting. An interim arrangement was proposed, and Mr Casey suggested that the issue needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the forum.
On the recruitment of trainee helpers, it was agreed that the status quo be maintained and that this also should be put before the forum, as should matters of new disciplinary and grievance procedures.
The travel-time issue remains at stalemate. Mr Casey suggested an interim arrangement in the short term. An independent binding arbitration is to be undertaken on this issue not later than October 1st.
In a statement yesterday the Irish Lift Contractors' Association (ILCA), a new employers' organisation, welcomed the decision of the engineers to return to work today.
Mr Kieran Duffy, a member of the ILCA executive, said he was delighted that they would now be able to get back to work and repair the lifts for people in such places as the Ballymun flats.
"The proposed forum is the next step in the dispute resolution process and one which we very much look forward to participating in. Together, all parties concerned have got the breakthrough needed to advance the negotiations on to the next step of definitely resolving this dispute once and for all", he said.
In a statement, the TEEU said that the proposals of the independent mediator had been considered at meetings of all its members yesterday and had been accepted by a substantial majority on the recommendation of the union's negotiating team.