Efforts to break the impasse in the Irish Ferries dispute continued last night, but with no sign of a breakthrough.
The company laid off 450 staff yesterday having already taken three of its four vessels out of service. Its remaining flagship vessel, the MV Ulysses, which sails between Dublin and Holyhead, could be hit by industrial action next week if the dispute is not resolved.
The company wants to negotiate cost-cutting changes, including 52 redundancies, with the two unions representing its 777 sea-going staff, the SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland (SUI). Talks have yet to begin, however, because of a refusal by the SUI to take part in joint discussions with SIPTU, in spite of a Labour Court recommendation that it do so.
The company said last week that if talks did not begin by last Friday, it would lay up three of its vessels and temporarily lay off 600 staff without pay.
In a statement yesterday, it said 450 crew members employed on its Rosslare-Pembroke, Dublin-Holyhead fast ferry and Rosslare-Cherbourg services had been laid off. A total of 76 crew were being retained to provide care and maintenance on the three vessels used for those routes, the Isle of Inishmore, Jonathan Swift and Normandy.
Irish Congress of Trade Unions officials held meetings yesterday with SIPTU and the SUI to try to find a resolution to the dispute. Those efforts were continuing last night. However, the SUI general secretary, Mr Robert Carrick, said there were no indications that a breakthrough was imminent.
An SUI ballot on industrial action affecting the Ulysses service may be completed today. If members vote in favour of action, a week's strike notice would be served on the company.
Irish Ferries says the cost base on its vessels is more than 30 per cent out of line with those of its main competitor, Stena Line, and even more out of line with those of other carriers with which it also competes.
Despite the reduced shipping capacity resulting from the dispute, IBEC, the employers' body, said yesterday there should not be a major disruption in trade. While there would be some inconvenience and limited additional costs for exporters, overall trading activity could be maintained at current levels, it said.
However, the Labour Party marine spokesman, Mr Tommy Broughan, said the dispute could have "far-reaching consequences", considering that "99 per cent of Irish imports come by sea".
