WORKERS AT BORD na Móna have voted in favour of taking industrial action in a dispute over a pay increase at the semi-State body.

A spokesperson for trade union SIPTU told TheJournal.ie that there was an “overwhelming” vote in favour of action.

Oliver McDonagh, who is also secretary of the Bord na Móna group of unions, said there is now a process to be followed and it will be a week to ten days before a strike notice is served on Bord na Móna.

About 2,000 employees at the company were involved in the vote as part of attempts to ensure the national pay agreement of 2008 is followed.

Unions representing the staff at the company say they are due a 3.5 per cent pay increase, which was agreed under the Towards 2016 social partnership deal.

However, Bord na Móna management have said funding the increase would necessitate spending cuts elsewhere and put jobs at risk. In a statement tonight, the company said it was “disappointed at the outcome of the ballot”, adding:

The company has approached negotiations with the Group of Unions with an open mind and has made a fair and reasonable offer at a time of widespread austerity. We appeal to them to consider the serious financial hardship that would inevitably result from industrial action.

- Additional reporting by Michael Freeman

More: Bord na Móna workers to vote on industrial action in pay row>