French trade unionists in the port of Cherbourg gave two Irish shipping companies, Irish Ferries and Celtic Link, an ultimatum yesterday to accept an international convention on working conditions for seafarers or face further industrial action from June 15th.
Earlier yesterday 150 trade unionists delayed the unloading of the Irish Ferries' vessel, Normandy, after it arrived at the port.
At a meeting in Cherbourg yesterday afternoon, members of the International Transport Federation (ITF), led by François Caillou of the French CFDT maritime union, handed copies of the convention, which was drawn up by Irish, British and French unions in March, to local representatives of the Irish companies.
An ITF statement issued in Dublin said that the proposals included provision for payment of the Irish national minimum wage of €8.65 per hour.
It said that pay rates on some Celtic Link vessels were as low as €2.80 an hour. Celtic Link said that its pay levels on the French route were above ITF rates.
As French police looked on, demonstrating seafarers handed leaflets to passengers arriving from Ireland. Disembarkation time was tripled from one to three hours, Mr Caillou said.
In view of the June 15th deadline, the French seafarers cancelled a tentative plan to disrupt the departure of the Normandy and the arrival of Celtic Link's vessel The Diplomat at 6pm.
"We want to avoid unfair competition, social dumping," Mr Caillou said, warning that if the the companies responded negatively they would be doubly targeted. "We will bring trade unionists from all over Europe to demonstrate in Cherbourg. It will be much tougher [ than yesterday], that is certain," he said.
"We don't know what working conditions are, but we know they are sub-standard. When you have a low-cost company with underpaid seafarers who work longer hours than the French, that's unfair competition."
An Irish Ferries spokesman said the convention would be studied. Siptu and Irish Ferries were to examine pay and conditions on the French route as part of the deal which ended the row over its Irish Sea route in 2005.