Irish Ferries vessel allowed to dock after protest blockade

AN Irish Ferries vessel carrying almost 800 passengers which was blocked from entering a French port was allowed to dock yesterday evening

Irish Ferries marketing director Tony Kelly said a court order had been secured to allow the ferry to berth at the port of Roscoff.

“The protest in effect is ending allowing us to berth at Roscoff and allowing our passengers to disembark,” he confirmed.

About 700 workers from French seafaring unions, representatives from Irish unions and the British RMT transport unions gathered on the dock as the bitter row about employment on the Ireland-France route deepened.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) confirmed the vessel, MV Normandy, at the centre of the protests over outsourcing, had been blocked from entering the port.

Mr Kelly said the 770 passengers on board the ship were preparing to disembark. And he said the protest was utterly irresponsible, illegal and unwarranted.

“Naturally we are extremely upset at what has happened,” Mr Kelly told RTÉ Radio.

“We are very, very upset over the fact that our passengers have in effect been taken hostage at the port of Roscoff through an illegal action that is in our view totally unwarranted and more to the point utterly irresponsible and indeed illegal.”

Dozens of French police arrived at the port after the ferry was stopped around 20 yards from the dock.

Reports from the port revealed protesters were burning pallets and blocking the ramp at the dock leaving hundreds of holidaymakers stranded at sea.

Another vessel from Brittany Ferries which had travelled from Plymouth was also waiting at sea behind the MV Normandy in order to dock.

The Irish Ferries ship sailed from Rosslare port last night and was due to dock at 11am.

Union bosses at SIPTU said it had informed international unions that Irish Ferries management was not going to fully negotiate with them on the issue of outsourcing.

Company bosses have said savings of over €5 million are needed to compete with other operators.

The unions said the row was over the outsourcing of labour to agencies on the Rosslare to France routes, resulting in cheaper rates for workers being used.

The MV Normandy is no longer sailing under an Irish flag.