Ahern rules out Irish Ferries legislation

THE Taoiseach has ruled out emergency legislation to prevent Irish Ferries from laying off 543 staff and replacing them with cheaper foreign workers.

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins reacted angrily in the Dáil. He said if the company was allowed to push through the lay-offs, “every grasping boss in the State will feel that he has carte blanche to sack permanent workers and to replace them with cheap, vulnerable, exploited migrant labour.”

The case was symptomatic of a “race to the bottom”, Mr Higgins added. “It is quite clear what Irish Ferries intend to do, but what will the Government do?” he asked.