Third-party intervention agreed by staff and management in Bord na Móna row

Unions and management at Bord na Móna have agreed to seek third-party intervention in an attempt to resolve a pay dispute at the semi-State firm.

The dispute, involving members of Siptu, Unite and the TEEU, is over a company pay offer that unions say does not live up to the terms agreed under the Towards 2016 transitional agreement.

In a statement issued yesterday, Bord na Móna said it had received written notice from the group of unions, which represents some 1,500 workers at the company, indicating their willingness to attend a third party such as the Labour Court.

Pickets have affected peat harvesting in Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Kildare, Roscommon and Longford.

The group of unions said yesterday it was planning two further 48-hour work stoppages but added it would suspend the action pending completion of any third-party process.

Oliver McDonagh, chairman of the Bord na Móna group of unions, said the company had left the workers with “no choice” but to announce the stoppages.