Security staff and crew row in Irish Ferries stand-off

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 escalation in hostilities began yesterday as security men wearing flack jackets boarded the Isle of Inishmore at Pembroke dock and the Ulysses at Holyhead port along with 70 new agency workers from Latvia and a number of other Eastern European countries.

With Welsh police called to the scene, ships officers and SIPTU crew members barricaded themselves into the ship’s engine control room while security guards occupied the bridge on behalf of management.

Meanwhile, at a third ship - the Jonathan Swift in Dublin Port - the chief officer was refused access to the vessel last night as a further stand-off developed.

Although both sides were anticipating a crisis at any minute, last night’s events were sparked by an Irish Ferries decision to suddenly move ahead with hugely controversial and divisive plans to replace 500 Irish staff with cheaper non-national agency workers.

Although a letter of the company’s intention to proceed had been sent to unions yesterday morning, no warning was given that new crews were to arrive last night.

Speaking to RTÉ last night, Irish Ferries human resources director, Alf McGrath, denied the company had acted in an inflammatory manner.

“We have gone this way because of not being able to engage SIPTU in direct discussions or in meaningful discussions at all on this subject. We felt we had to make our own stand.

“After all, if we don’t correct the cost position in the company, you’ll be witnessing the closedown of this company in less than two years.”

Irish Ferries has flatly refused to accept a Labour Court recommendation that it retain present staffing arrangements until 2007.

The bitter dispute has seen hopes for a new social partnership agreement fade almost completely in recent weeks as unions refuse to enter partnership talks until the Government moves to protect workers’ rights.

Despite comments from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that there was no more the Government could do to solve the dispute, SIPTU president Jack O’Connor insisted there were avenues open to intervene.

Speaking from Pembroke last night, SIPTU’s Jim Finnegan said the company had unjustly put security personnel and new low-paid workers on board its ships.

“We engaged with the Labour Court and accepted its recommendations. The company rejected the court’s recommendations. We engaged with the National Implementation Body’s proposed process to resolve the dispute and the company refused to do so.”