Irish Ferries and SIPTU expected to resume talks today

Both sides in the Irish Ferries dispute are expected to resume talks at the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to resolve the bitter row over the company's outsourcing plans.

The talks were suspended last Friday during a national day of protest in which some 100,000 people turned out to voice their anger with the actions of Irish Ferries management.

The company wants to lay off all its seafaring staff and replace them with Latvian workers earning less than half the minimum wage.

However, some reports have suggested that management is now offering to pay the minimum wage to non-Irish workers.