Ferry passengers kept in the dark as docking crisis erupted

PASSENGERS travelling from France to Ireland with Irish Ferries were not told the ship might face difficulties docking because of a worsening dispute between management and workers.

Dubliner Mark Penny, who boarded the ferry in Cherbourg on Saturday night with his partner Sophaly and their two children, four-year-old Sammy and nine-month-old daughter Andelys, said staff denied there were any problems.

The ship was due to dock in Rosslare last evening but SIPTU workers at the port refused to handle the ship as it berthed and, at the last minute, it was diverted to Dublin, where it landed last night.

“I asked Irish Ferries staff in Cherbourg would there be any problems and they said we would be docking in Rosslare at 5pm on Sunday. They denied any difficulties,” said Mr Penny.

“Personally I am very disgruntled with management that in the first place, they haven’t informed their staff about what is happening, and secondly, they haven’t briefed their customers.”

Uncertainty surrounded the destination of the MV Normandy for most of yesterday, with some people fearing the 200 passengers could be stranded at sea.

Earlier in the day, SIPTU workers at Rosslare and Dublin decided they would not handle the ferry on arrival.

On foot of this decision, the port authority in Rosslare, Iarnród Éireann, was obliged to notify Irish Ferries before the Normandy set sail, that the docking of the ferry could not be facilitated. An Iarnród Éireann spokesperson said they notified the company at about 3pm on Saturday.

Yesterday, Mr Penny, the owner of the Henry Grattan bar in Dublin and of the Cactus eaterie and Conway’s Bar in Blackrock, said passengers were concerned they would be used as political leverage in the dispute.

“There was that sort of feeling, that we might be used to break the impasse.” Mr Penny spoke on RTÉ’s This Week programme.

He said his concern was the safety of his family. His son Sammy broke out in measles during the journey.

He said passengers weren’t told until the journey was well underway that there may be a problem on the Irish side.

He said while the crew were very helpful, “it would be nice to know what’s going on.”

The dispute centres on a row between SIPTU workers and Irish Ferries over the company’s decision to replace Irish staff with cheaper foreign labour.

SIPTU agreed to this taking place on the Normandy to counterbalance the anti-competitive effects of subsidies to rival companies by the French government.

However, it did not agree to such action on other vessels and Irish Ferries decision to proceed without agreement prompted the current row.