FOUR marine officers who barricaded themselves inside the control room of the Isle of Inishmore in Pembroke finally emerged last night, bringing the bitter Irish Ferries dispute to a conclusion.

A RESOLUTION to the three-week impasse at Irish Ferries appeared closer last night as both sides began to make progress in Labour Relations Commission (LRC) talks.

IRISH FERRIES has threatened to reduce its proposed redundancy offer by one-quarter if strike-hit services to Britain are not resumed today.

TALKS at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) are expected to reconvene today in an effort to breach the deadlock in the Irish Ferries crisis as the dispute enters its third week.

Four Irish Ferries workers staging a 17-day lock-in on one of the firm’s ships today thanked the tens of thousands of protesters who marched during yesterday’s national day of protest.

MARCHING past the Taoiseach’s office, SIPTU’s construction branch chanted a message not often heard in Government buildings.

SIPTU will not prevent the docking of privately chartered freight ships in Cork and Rosslare this weekend as desperate exporters seek to circumvent the dispute at Irish Ferries.

Shore staff at Irish Ferries tonight voted in favour of industrial action in support of ships officers embroiled in a long-running dispute at the company.

Irish Ferries workers tonight vowed not to obstruct new services to relieve the build-up of trucks at ports.

Irish Ferries workers tonight vowed not to obstruct new services to relieve the build-up of trucks at ports.

INTENSIVE behind the scenes efforts to resolve the Irish Ferries dispute continued last night despite little apparent hope of any breakthrough.

THE standoff at Irish Ferries intensified further yesterday as hauliers began to bypass the dispute, finding other ways to shift crucial Christmas cargoes.

Dublin port workers tonight voted to support Irish Ferries staff fighting attempts to replace them with cheaper foreign labour, by refusing to handle any of the firm’s ships.

The grounding of four Irish Ferries ships could start hitting Irish manufacturing jobs within a fortnight, it was claimed today.

Irish Ferries and SIPTU are expected to attend separate talks at the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to resolve the row over the company's controversial "outsourcing" plans.

IRISH Ferries was accused of using its passengers as “human shields” last night after SIPTU workers relented and allowed the company to dock its vessel, the MV Normandy, at Dublin Port on “humanitarian grounds”.

Irish Ferries has said the MV Normandy is still due to dock at Rosslare this afternoon despite a vow by port workers that they would not handle the ship when it arrived.

A row between management and unions which has led to the cancellation of services on the Irish Sea by Irish Ferries intensified today.

Irish Ferries have denied a report published in today's Irish Independent that the company sanctioned the use of tear gas by security personnel on board its vessels Isle of Inishmore and Ulysses.

THE tense stand-off at Irish Ferries showed no sign of abating last night despite widespread condemnation of the company’s heavy handed tactics.

SIPTU is calling for a national day of protest next week in support of Irish Ferries workers whose jobs are being "outsourced" by the company.

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.

The Irish Ferries saga took another twist this afternoon, as the company deployed security staff onto one of its vessels.

The Irish Ferries saga took another twist this afternoon.

The International Transport Federation has demanded that Irish Ferries compensate two more Filipina workers who were hired by the company on extremely low wages.

THE beautician who sparked a labour row when it emerged she was being paid just over €1 an hour to work aboard an Irish Ferries vessel has reached a settlement with the company.

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.

THE plight of a Filipina beautician, who was paid slave wages on an Irish Ferries ship, has turned the spotlight sharply on the need for a radical overhaul of Ireland’s policy of issuing work permits to employers rather than directly to foreign workers.

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

IRISH FERRIES services to Britain and France could be hit by industrial action next month after SIPTU yesterday served strike notice on the company.

Union bosses today accused Irish Ferries of paying a foreign worker slave wages.

Irish Ferries has begun laying off workers due to an escalating row over attempts to outsource staff on a shipping route, it was confirmed today.

Passengers and freight operators face chaos as Irish Ferries has today withdrawn three vessels from service in an escalation of its dispute with SIPTU and the Seamen's union of Ireland.

ABOUT 600 ferry company employees could be laid off for several months without pay following a conflict with unions.

About 600 sea-going staff at Irish Ferries were warned today they face being temporarily laid off without pay.