Irish Ferries pull extra security from ships

This afternoon it was reported that Irish Ferries has removed additional security personnel from its four ships stranded in a union dispute.

Irish Ferries CEO Eamonn Rothwell in a statement today said that the company had "come to the end of its rope" and hit out at the union's negotiating stance and the industrial action which has stranded the fleet of ferries in port.

He said: "This is about the life or death of a company. It’s about the right of freight and passenger customers (and the Irish tourist industry) to low-fare carriers on the Irish Sea. It’s about paying EU citizens a wage which in real terms is higher than the on-land minimum wage. And it’s about the rights of a majority, who do not have faith in SIPTU, to the package they’ve chosen.

"At the moment, the rights of the majority count for nothing. Our ships cannot move, because a tiny minority won’t allow the 90% to get their package. Or allow new crews, eager for work, to take over: under the guise of protecting them against exploitation, SIPTU are preventing them getting employment."

Meanwhile, the executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions met today to discuss a response to the Irish Ferries dispute and announced a protest march on the Dail in Dublin on Friday December 9.

The dispute broke out when the company announced that it wished to draft in cheaper labour from outside Ireland, which has the second highest minimum wage in the EU. However, the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU) opposed the lay off plan which would have affected over 540 of its members.

All four of the Irish Ferries vessels are now immobilised in port since the dispute flared up over the weekend. Hauliers groups say the dispute will cost millions of euros each day.

Earlier this week unions attempted to block Irish Ferries vessel MV Normandy from docking in Rosslare, but the vessel did make port after the unions agreed to facilitate the vessel on "humanitarian" grounds.

Ships officers barricaded themselves into the control room of the Isle of Inishmore which is docked in Pembroke. Irish Ferries had apparently sent in security staff to safeguard the ships. A similar stand-off with security guards, which occurred aboard Ulysses, prevented the vessel from leaving Holyhead in Wales.

It is understood that the company wishes to see reciprocal action by the ships' officers.

Tánaiste Mary Harney has appealed to both side to "pull back from the brink" warning that the showdown could cause the collapse of the formerly state-owned company.

The Irish parliament is to hold a special debate on the situation on Tuesday evening.

(SP/KMcA)