Irish Ferries defends move to replace Irish Sea crews

Irish Ferries has mounted a vigorous defence of its controversial move to replace staff on its Irish Sea routes with cheaper labour from Latvia.

Ships' officers seized control of the Isle of Inismore ferry in the Welsh port of Pembroke yesterday when the company sent security staff on board to implement the changeover.

A similar stand-off is preventing the Ulysses from leaving Holyhead.

The protestors have claimed the security staff sent on board the Isle of Inismore were carrying iron bars and clubs in their baggage and intended to take the vessel by force.

The officers also said the security men breached international shipping security laws by entering the bridge, crew accommodation quarters and other parts of the vessel.

However, Irish Ferries insisted the men were not armed and were entitled to enter those parts of the ferry as they were working for company management.

Spokesman Alf McGrath said: "A total of 15 bona fide security people were hired by us to protect the assets of the company and protect the crew and passengers.

"They were accompanied by their own management and by members of our management, who authorised them to be there.

"They were given contractors' badges, which is the normal situation when we bring people on board in that fashion, and they were not carrying weapons."