Seanad report: If the ethos underlying the proposed Irish Ferries change of employment terms were allowed to go unchecked it would do enormous damage to our economy, and it would not take very long for this to happen, the Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen, said.
Several speakers had questioned whether this was a legitimate case for the payment of redundancy, and, more particularly, whether it was appropriate for the Irish taxpayer to pay a substantial amount towards such redundancy, said the Minister.
Speaking in the second stage debate on the Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005, Mr Killeen said he had no difficulty in forcing the pace in relation to the payment of redundancy to people where a company had collapsed and the unfortunate workers were left with nothing. But that was not the situation in this instance, and it was going to be looked at very, very carefully indeed.
Mary O'Rourke, leader of the House, said there was something very rotten about the behaviour of Irish Ferries, what they were trying to do and the way they were going about it.
"They are treating workers, whether from this country or Poland or Slovenia or wherever, as pawns in a major competitive game in which they are involved".
If Irish Ferries could not stand for decent treatment of workers then it should shut up shop. A business could not continue to be kept in operation by reliance on perverse issues of redundancy and by denuding workers of their basic right. She was very surprised Irish Ferries was taking this route and she hoped it would not get away with it.
Joe O'Toole (Ind) asked why 70 per cent of the workers in Irish Ferries would indicate they wished to accept the deal put forward by management. "The reason is terror and the company's policy of frightening people and panicking them".