Esb

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Purple

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The ESB:

For the consumer;
Bad service and bad value for money.

For their employees;
Secure jobs, fantastic working conditions, loads of time off, sick pay, pensions that aren't even dreamt of in the private sector and average pay of over €60'000 with control room operators on over €100'000.
And now we find that they are offered €6'000 (or €48'000'000 over the next 3 years) just to set down and talk about their 18.5% pay claim.
And that after over 20% in the last pay deal and their refuse to pay even 1/3 of the shortfall in their own pensions....
What the hell is going on!?!
 
Do you actually know anyone working in ESB? A lot of what you posted is complete crap.
 
I know nobody that works in the ESB and nor have I spent any time investigating the ins and outs of the issues there, but my opinion of the ESB would be exactly the same that Purple has and a quick straw poll around the office showed that most people (sample of 25) also had the same opinion of the ESB.

If we are all wrong then somebody needs to do a serious marketing campaign to put us right!

efm
 
I can guarantee you're all wrong!! Can't go into too much detail but the average pay is not over €60k (I wish it was), control room operators are not on over €100k (yes I have proof of this but I'm hardly likely to post it on a public forum), most people have 21 days annual leave rising to 24 or 27 days - hardly "loads of time off". 7 uncertified sick days allowed during 12 months, working conditions are far from fantastic in a lot of places - as there are hundreds of locations maybe it's possible that some places have great working conditions but most don't.

And €6000 for talking about a pay claim - shame the unions haven't told their members about that one!
 
Hi Cahir,
The €6'000 was on the front page of yesterdays Indo.
My uncle was a control room operator for 25 years.
My next door neighbour is an electrician with the ESB.
The pay rates are from RTE radio.
I get 21 days and no more after 15 years of service and get no sick pay, certified or uncertified, so yes; to me 27 days + 7 “sickies” a year is loads of time off. In that 15 years I have taken 5 sick days, all at my own cost.
The only pay increases I get are as a direct result of how long and hard I work. There is no such thing as a cost of living increase in the real world.
 
You seem to think you know more than people actually working in ESB - if you really believe everything the media tells you why don't you apply for a job in ESB?
 
I have listened to the radio, watched the TV and read the newspapers over the last few years. If there is some other source of information that supports your view please let me know where to find it.
As for applying for a job in the ESB, I could never work in a unionised company, as I believe in a meritocracy system of rewards, not one where the bar is set at the lowest common denominator and reward is gained by holding the public to ransom.
 
I'm not willing to discuss details on a public website but for an insiders view I'd be more than happy to talk about this in private.
 
Seems odd that you would not be willing to argue your case here without divulging your sources or exposing yourself unnecessarily if you feel that others are mnisrepresenting the situation...
 
Hi cahir,
Send me a personal mail then please, as I would be genuinely interested in your views.
 
Purple, you are acting very foolishly. My dad has been an electrician with the ESB for 19 Years since leaving school at age 16 to do an apprenticeship. The pay is certainly not the huge figures that are often tosed around - don't get me wrong, he is paid well - but not over the odds. As for working conditions and hours, Purple you are talking rubbish - as a networks electrican he is obliged to do "on call" ever third or fourth week. He is paid one single amount no matter how often he is called out during this week period. And I assure you the company are getting great value out of him for this - this week he was called out EVERY single day, on monday he arrived home at 7pm, was called out at 10pm, returned at 4am, then went into work at 8.30am for a full day. That is NORMAL for him. Yes he earns a decent wage, has a few perks such as healthcare and will proably have a good pension (although the pension fund is in a deficit of €0.5bn) - but the key word here is that he EARNS it.

The industrial action the other week was caused by inter union arguments, stupid tactics by Brendan Nooglin (the full time trade unionist), and concern about the massive pension fund deficiet. Appretices and Contractors were not the real issues.
 
As I former esb worker and not bound by any confidentiality agreements I can spill the beans on the little perks that they all get. Will post with the approval of a moderator.
 
The ESB -- wonderful company and all that. Only problem is that the cost of electricity for years reflected the nonsense of trade union agreements. Of all the semi states, this is probably the only one that is shaping up for competition.

Where there is an absence of competition, there is always vast inefficiency.
 
Hi CGorman, your father is covered by the working time directive. He cannot work more than 48 hours a week averaged over the year.
Hi Cahir, I read your PM with interest. From what you say it seems that the times are changing.
 
Purple said:
He cannot work more than 48 hours a week averaged over the year.
Click to expand...

The key word there is averaged. He might work a 40hr week for 3 weeks... but then a 60hr week.. thats not easy.

In addition he takes part in company "schemes" which are for the company, but outside his actual job. This might involve working all Saturday after a normal week. This is outside his remit and is pay per job rather than pay per hour work, but his income from this is included in the weeks wages. This may contribute to a seemingly high average wage at the company.
 
The 48-hour limit in the working time directive applies to all hours worked so if the company is doing what you describe above then they are in breach of the directive.
Pay per hour or pay per job doesn't come into it.
Personally I ignore the 48-hour max as I think it is nobodies business what hours I work. Most people in the private sector do overtime, many of them don't get paid for it.
If he is being paid for his Saturdays work then what is the problem?
Why should his income for working Saturday not be included in his week’s wages?
How do you propose he be paid?
 
It would be very interesting to see Bonds contribution from the inside. My father in law was a supervisor in Ringsend years ago when it was mothballed. The agreement which management entered into was that all manning levels would have to be maintained until the lads took relocation elsewhere.

For years (literally) he had to covered absence ON OVERTIME by bringing in people to cover for lads who would ring in sick. He was not allowed to ask guys to stay back on O/T because it would mean part of the shift would be time and a half whereas if he called others in they would start on double time.

This meant that wages were hugely inflated at the consumers expense for PLAYING CARDS.

In real business the consumer pays what they feel is the market rate. If the business can't make money they increase their sale price OR cut their costs. It seems like the ESB / Bord Gais go to the regulator and say look at our costs and the regulator approves an increased instead of telling them to do something about their costs........

Roy
 
WizardDr said:
Where there is an absence of competition, there is always vast inefficiency.
Click to expand...

There is competition in the Electricity industry, since February this year. As domestic users we can now buy all our electricity from up to 3 different suppliers.

Funnily enough, they all charge exactly the same price, and all include the PSO levy as well (which I would have thought should only really apply to the ESB).
 
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