Iarnrod Eireann drivers and ESB engineers are considering management proposals aimed at averting industrial action, writes Nuala Haughey.
Conciliation talks between unions and management at Iarnrod Eireann ended yesterday with proposals which unions will bring to their members next Tuesday.
The talks are about work practices for train drivers in the Connolly No 1 and Connolly No 2 depots, which are being amalgamated.
The company's human resources manager, Mr John Keenan, said "significant progress" was made in talks yesterday hosted by the Labour Relations Commission.
"The threat to services has receded and we are optimistic that it will be gone by next Tuesday," he said.
The union representing ESB engineers said members were unhappy with a management offer made late on Thursday.
A special meeting of the union's executive will take place next Monday to consider the proposals. There are more than 500 engineers in professional and middle management grades, and they want their maximum scale raised from less than £41,000 to £53,000.
A spokesman for the engineers, Mr Paul Cronin, said he was not confident that the executive would approve management's proposals.
If the executive decides to ballot members on the offer, it is unlikely that there would be any industrial action prior to a vote.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has said it cannot make any further offer to the Irish Medical Organisation which wants new charges for work done by GPs on behalf of the Garda. The Department made its offer at talks which broke up on Thursday.
GPs examine people in drink-driving cases, as well as providing other services, including examining suspected drug abusers and victims of sexual assault.