Probe into claims Irish Ferries paying €4 an hour

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into complaints that workers on board Irish Ferries’ newest ship are being paid less than half the minimum wage.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil that the matter had been taken up by the National Employment Rights Authority, whose inspectors are empowered to refer breaches of workers rights to the Chief State Solicitors’ Office for prosecution.

However, Mr Ahern warned that it may not be possible to enforce Irish law where a company is registered outside of the country.

“We don’t have enforcement over a company that is not an Irish company. We don’t regulate Spanish boats fishing off west Cork.”

Concerns about pay and conditions of crew emerged at the unveiling of Irish Ferries’ €50 million Oscar Wilde passenger ferry last week. The International Transport Workers Federation claimed workers were being paid €4 an hour — well below the minimum wage of €8.65.

Irish Ferries was at the centre of a bitter workers’ rights controversy in 2005 after the company replaced hundreds of staff jobs with lower-paid migrant labour under an outsourcing arrangement with an overseas recruitment agency, effectively bypassing Irish law.

Mr Ahern said there could be difficulties applying Irish law to a company flying under a flag of convenience or registered abroad.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore urged a more robust response.

“They may have found a way of distancing themselves from Irish legislation but €4 an hour is not an acceptable rate of pay to pay anybody,” he said. “It’s a responsibility of the Government to enact whatever legislation and regulation is required to ensure that doesn’t happen.”