Irish Ferries - Dispute could be repeated elsewhere

AS ships of the Irish Ferries line resume sailings, it is timely to reflect on the implications of a dispute where there were no winners and which has left deep scars on Ireland’s industrial relations landscape.

Not alone have hundreds of workers been made redundant, now to be replaced by cheap labour, the operation of the shipping company was crippled for three weeks, tensions erupted between rival unions and 150,000 people took to the streets of cities and towns across the country in protest.

Undoubtedly, the last-gasp resolution of this bitter row was due to the tireless efforts of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and the National Implementation Body.