Hopes of averting the closure of Ferbane power station and saving more than 200 jobs in Co Offaly have risen following the issuing of a peace formula from the ESB's joint industrial council.
The JIC has recommended that the electrician/instrumentation grade in Ferbane station be treated as one category by the nine workers concerned.
In an effort to address the concerns of the three instrumentation technicians, who are members of MSF, the JIC has proposed that a training and development programme for the grade be introduced.
A three-day hearing should be held with an arbitrator to agree a framework for this programme. However, if no agreement can be reached, the arbitrator's findings should be binding.
The ESB has welcomed the JIC recommendation and says it will go ahead with a £16.6 million refurbishment plan for Ferbane when the recommendation is implemented in full.