ESB bans 'recreational jogging' at Moneypoint Power Station

The ESB power station at Moneypoint in Co.Clare is one of the largest in the country and is located on the shore of the Shannon Estuary. Recently, the ESB management at the site banned employees from running during their lunch breaks.

“As part of a careful review of site traffic management, we have asked all personnel on site to refrain from recreational jogging and walking during lunch breaks and free time. As one of Ireland’s largest power stations, Moneypoint is a live and busy workplace and activities such as these do not align with modern health and safety practices.”

In response, more than 50 employees at the power station staged a protest walk of two miles on the site in direct contravention of the ruling.

A local union official said...“A lot of people are employed here and many of them like to walk and run on the grounds during their break times, it is a health and well being issue for us. After the meeting on Thursday, 50 of us walked to the main gates and back on Friday lunchtime as a protest. The walk was done in defiance of the orders from management. I can’t see any way that people will stop walking and jogging at the site. We are doing it on our own time — it’s during our breaks. There hasn’t been an accident or any incident from someone walking or jogging on the site for 30 years.”