Deal on Irish Ferries reached

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report

Wednesday December 14, 2005 12:51

by Sonic Youth

A deal has been reached on Irish Ferries-it is now in the hands of the membership. This report is from the Irish Times.

Deal reached in Irish Ferries row after talks
By Patrick Logue Last updated: 14-12-05, 07:27

Irish Ferries management and union representatives have struck a deal after all-night talks in the Labour Relations Commission.

The settlement is expected to result in the resumption of sailings on the Irish Sea and to France, which have been suspended since a serious escalation of the dispute almost three weeks ago.

The company said services would resume as soon as possible on the company's three routes between Ireland, Britain and France, while the union said it anticipated its members would return to work.

The first service due back is the Swift Service, which is scheduled to depart Dublin for Holyhead at 12.15pm.

The dispute centred on the company's plan to offer redundancy to its workers and hire in foreign agency workers at lower rates of pay. Irish Ferries said it would reflag its ships abroad to avoid having to stick to Irish employment laws.

Under the deal the company will be allowed to reflag its vessels but must pay minimum wage or more to its staff. The union has agreed to outsourcing but staff who do not want to take redundancy will stay on the same terms and conditions. The deal is underpinned by a binding legal agreement under Irish law.

Sipty Vice President Brendan Hayes said in a statement issued at 5.30am the deal "will provide a framework for the protection of workers in the company and for the viable operation of the ferries business into the future."

Irish Ferries said it its statement, issued shortly before 5am, that it believes that the dead reached "is one which will enable the company to compete into the future".

Irish Ferries Chief Executive Eamonn Rothwell said: " We are now committed to restoring full services as quickly as possible and to winning back the confidence of our passengers and freight clients".

The union said it had secured substantial increases in the rates of pay originally proposed by the company that bring them up to and above the minimum wage.

Terms and conditions of those who wish to stay at the company are secure and the redundancy offer will be reopened to staff who did not respond to the original deadline set by the company in September.

"The full terms of the agreement will now be referred to the membership and we anticipate that this dispute will be settled," the Siptu statement said. "Ballots of members on the Ulysses, Isle of Inishmore and Jonathan Swift will take place over the day and it is expected that full schedule of sailings will be restored," it added.

A general meeting of its members will take place in Liberty Hall in Dublin at 2pm.

The Seamen's Union of Ireland, which represents about 60 per cent of seafarers at the company, was also in attendance at the talks.