Ferry sailings on choppy waters as Stena Line staff plan strike action

FERRY passengers could be left high and dry this month as SIPTU plans strike action at Stena Line.

The union is to ballot its members for action in the coming days over company plans to introduce cuts, including a reduction in sailings between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead from two to one a day.

“Essentially management has provoked this dispute by reneging on an agreement reached with us in the Labour Relations Commission in August 2007, which specifically provided for this situation,” SIPTU branch organiser Owen Reidy said yesterday.

“We had agreed that in the event of further downsizing at Dún Laoghaire, the company would facilitate the transfer of staff on existing conditions to its Dublin Port operation.

“We wrote to the company last December reiterating the importance of honouring the agreement. We did not even receive a response.”

Regrettably, when we met with them on March 12, they stated the agreement did not mean what it said, that they would not honour it and threatened compulsory redundancies.”

Stena confirmed it was cutting 18 of 64 staff in Dún Laoghaire. It said it sought meetings with the union on the reduction since March 12 but said unions were refusing.

“The company will now engage with the Labour Relations Commission in an effort to move the machinery of this forward,” a spokesman said.

“We would like to reassure our customers that all Stena sailings continue to operate as normal and the company expects this situation to remain.”

Meanwhile, after holding a protest which blocked off one entrance to Dublin Airport yesterday, staff at airline maintenance firm SR Technics are to hold a meeting there at 9am this morning.

The company is to close down by August with the loss of 1,135 jobs. The first 600 staff will be made redundant tomorrow.

Following Labour Court recommendations on Tuesday, the company said it would not be able to provide more money for redundancy and pensions.