Irish Ferries has mounted a vigorous defence of its controversial move to replace staff on its Irish Sea routes with cheaper labour from Latvia.

CONTINUED industrial relations unrest at Irish Ferries erupted into an extraordinary series of events last night leaving any hope of a prompt return to Social Partnership in tatters.

SIPTU and Irish Ferries are expected to engage in conciliation talks in Dublin today after an ongoing dispute left 800 passengers stranded at sea for up to eight hours yesterday.

The Filipino woman who won a €25,000 cash settlement from Irish Ferries is to set up her own beauty salon, it emerged tonight.

Irish Ferries have reached an agreement with SIPTU and beautician Salvacion Y Ortenero Orge to resolve the case.

A FILIPINO woman staging a protest on an Irish Ferries vessel after being sacked said last night her dreams were shattered.

Talks between Irish Ferries and union officials over a worker from the Philippines in a row about “slave wages” have ended without agreement, it was confirmed tonight.

Irish Ferries is meeting with union officials to discuss the situation of a foreign worker from the Philippines in a row over low wages, it was confirmed today.

IRISH FERRIES will today begin resuming services after Government intervention resulted in a breakthrough in the 11-day-old dispute between workers and management at the company.

IRISH FERRIES could face closure and the loss of more than 700 jobs if the Seamen’s Union of Ireland (SUI) maintains its refusal to jointly negotiate a €3.4 million a year cost-cutting plan with the company.