The threat of a renewed national lift strike has arisen following industrial action by the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union in two of the Republic's largest lift companies, Otis and Schindlers.
The TEEU is claiming that the companies are refusing to honour the terms of a return-to-work settlement negotiated with the help of the Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, three weeks ago. The employers claim that the TEEU has adopted "bullying tactics" by insisting on the implementation of its interpretation of that settlement formula and threatening industrial action.
Last week a two-week strike at the largest lift company, Otis, came to an end after the company agreed to implement changes in overtime payments and meal allowances which the union claimed were due under the return-to-work agreement. Otis also agreed to pay half of the retrospection due under that agreement.
Today 40 TEEU members at Schindlers are due to strike after it refused to make similar concessions. A TEEU official, Mr Dan Miller, accused the company of reneging on commitments made in the talks. He said its terms were clear-cut and he used as an example the fact that Schindlers was trying to pay retrospection at £9.75 an hour, instead of £11.14 to £11.44 an hour.
However, the managing director of Schindlers, Mr Kieran Duffy, said yesterday that Mr Miller was including in his figures money that had already been paid to TEEU members. He also said that full retrospection was not due until a forum had been set up and had agreed a new "field working agreement".
Members of the newly formed Irish Lift Contractors' Association are meeting tomorrow to decide the stance of the lift employers to the industrial action. Sources on both sides agreed that a resumption of a national dispute was a very real possibility.