Talks aim to resolve dispute at Irish Ferries

SIPTU and Irish Ferries are expected to engage in conciliation talks in Dublin today after an ongoing dispute left 800 passengers stranded at sea for up to eight hours yesterday.

The dispute, which has already seen the Irish Ferries fleet grounded earlier this year, centres around union concerns that management is intent on replacing Irish crews with cheaper foreign crews.

Yesterday’s incident emerged after the captain of the MV Normandy could not dock in Cherbourg after Irish, British and French union representatives launched a protest in the French port.