West Cork ferry workers stage second strike action

Workers on a ferry serving Cape Clear Island in west Cork are to stage a second day of strike action today.

Staff on the Naomh Ciaran II are taking the action in protest at pay cuts ranging from 22% for deckhands to 27% for the ship’s master.

According to SIPTU, the vessel's owner also wants them to work for free for four weeks this summer.

Ferry owner Ciarán O’Driscoll has claimed that he had to cut costs because a rival ferry operator was cherry-picking premium summer routes.

The workers staged a one-day strike on June 4 and are taking further industrial action from 9am until 7pm today.