‘I don’t trust my employers anymore’

MARINE engineer John Curry says the thought of leaving the engine room of Irish Ferries’ ship Inishmore frightens him.

He is one of four SIPTU members barricaded in the engine room of the vessel at Pembroke dock in Wales.

“It is like a bank vault down here and we are not coming out until we get assurances from our trade union. I don’t trust my employers anymore and I am 26 years working for this company,” he said yesterday.

Mr Curry said the security team on board the ship terrified him.

“These security guys are big brutes. I would say they are hand picked purely for their physical appearance alone,” he said.

Around lunchtime yesterday, three deck officers, also SIPTU members, took control of the vessel’s bridge after making their way past security guards.

SIPTU marine secretary Paul Smyth said the officers locked the bridge when a manager attempted to show the area to Eastern European contract workers.

Mr Curry said they decided to secure the engine room last Thursday because of fears for the ship’s safety.

“When we saw people on the monitor who appeared to be taking control of the ship we immediately secured our area here.”

He and his colleagues soon realised the company had sent security personnel on board and shortly afterwards buses arrived with a new crew to replace them.

Mr Curry said he and his colleagues were prepared to leave when management reached some form of a settlement with SIPTU.

“But with all the revelations over the past few days we really feel that this company could do anything to get us out of here,” he said.

Mr Curry said he and his colleagues were still “maintaining all services on board the ship”. They are taking it in turns to sleep for a couple of hours between shifts but the experience had left them almost exhausted.

“We are just lying down on the floor and the slightest sound has us awake and thinking that they are coming to get us,” he said.

Mr Smyth stressed the ship would remain in Pembroke dock until the security team and the replacement crew left the vessel and a full safety check was made.