Large crowds expected to attend Irish Ferries protests

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend demonstrations throughout the country today to express their opposition to the erosion of employment standards.

The national day of protest was arranged by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in response to Irish Ferries plans to lay off all its staff and replace them with cheaper labour from eastern Europe.

Congress says the Irish Ferries situation is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the erosion of employment standards and the "race to the bottom" in the jobs market.

It claims cheap labourers are being exploited in several sectors in order to displace well-paid and unionised Irish workers.

However, the employers' body IBEC claims the phenomenon of "job displacement" is unique to the shipping industry and today's protest is sending out the wrong signal to the international community.