Major chaos could hit cross channel holiday traffic in the height of the summer season if a ballot by ships officers in Irish Ferries taking place this week results in strike action.
Unofficial action yesterday by the ships officers, who are members of SIPTU, stopped the inaugural sailing of the company's new £29 million passenger ferry, Jona- than Swift, which was due to leave Dublin Port for Holyhead at 5.45 a.m.
Passengers had to be accommodated on conventional ships instead of the new fast ferry service and the six sailings it was due to make had to be cancelled.
The ballot by the company's 85 ships officers followed the rejection of a Labour Court recommendation by the 18 who are due to work on the Jonathan Swift.
The recommendation in effect endorsed the company's proposed manning level regime for the new ferry service on "competitive cost" grounds, indicating that both sides should work towards consensus on the issue.
It means that ships officers will be expected to work a total of 168 days per annum - alternately 24 weeks on and 24 weeks off - with four weeks holidays.
This contrasts with the existing agreement on the conventional ferries which requires them to work a total of 140 days and which the union insists must remain the norm throughout the company.
The ships officers believe the different work norms could ultimately result in a worsening of manning level rotas on the conventional ferries, although the company has denied this.
"Our members rejected the Labour Court recommendation two weeks ago," said SIPTU branch secretary Mr Brian Fitzgerald. "We're now balloting our members in respect of industrial action to be taken in the event that any ships officer is discriminated against for not agreeing to work the new schedules."
At a meeting on Monday night between union and management representatives, said Mr Fitzgerald, the company offered to "buy back the difference" in hours between the conventional ferries and the proposed new manning levels: "The company want to have full rights in this regard, but we're arguing that it must be at the discretion of the individual ship's officer."
Irish Ferries' head of human resources, Mr Brendan McCarthy, last night warned of the dangers of any worsening of industrial relations. There could be no talks with the ships officers, he said, while the dispute remained unofficial.
The Labour Court had urged that no action should be taken by either side in response to its recommendation in the absence of further talks.
"We won't be negotiating before the men return to work," said Mr McCarthy, emphasising that this was an unofficial dispute. "The Labour Court recognised the need for operating different manning hours between fast ferries and conventional ships and why they must be implemented on cost grounds."
Irish Ferries insisted there was no question of the company attempting to rewrite the current "ring-fenced" agreement affecting conventional ferries.