Irish Ferries faces closure and loss of 700 jobs over union refusal

IRISH FERRIES could face closure and the loss of more than 700 jobs if the Seamen’s Union of Ireland (SUI) maintains its refusal to jointly negotiate a €3.4 million a year cost-cutting plan with the company.

SIPTU, which represents a section of the Irish Ferries staff, has agreed to a Labour Court recommendation that it negotiate jointly with the SUI.

Last night, both the company and SIPTU said the failure of the SUI to take part in joint union talks by this coming weekend could result in the company’s closure.

Irish Ferries human resources director Alf McGrath said the company intended to lay off 600 staff by the coming weekend and will suspend services on three of its four ferries if the conflict was not resolved.

He blamed an inter-union row between SIPTU and the SUI for delaying negotiation of the cutbacks.

Excessive overheads and staffing levels on its four ferries were said by the company to be making operations uncompetitive.

The SUI said the decision to initially lay off 600 staff would prove to be “commercial suicide.”

The union said it was available for talks but not jointly with SIPTU.

The company has written to its workforce warning them that 600 employees would be laid off without pay if agreement isn't reached. Irish Ferries has also threatened to suspend the swift ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, the Rosslare Pembroke service, and the Rosslare route to Cherbourg and Roscoff.

Talks held by the Labour Court between management and the unions broke up in January with the recommendation that both unions hold joint talks with the company. Irish Ferries has 777 sea-going staff, of which 297 are SIPTU members and 480 are members of the SUI.