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2004

Industrial action at Irish Ferries

Date Released: 24 Nov 2004

Members of the SIPTU Marine Officers' Section of Irish Ferries have served notice of industrial action on management to begin on December 2, according to SIPTU Branch Secretary, Paul Smyth.

"The action will affect all of the company's ships. But the precise manner in which it will be implemented will be decided by the strike committee nearer the expiry date," he said.

"The dispute is over the proposal by management to outsource the employment of Irish officers and seafarers employed on the MV Normandy which operates from Rosslare to France.

"Management said the proposal arose because the French regional authorities are subsidising Brittany Ferries - Irish Ferries' main competitor.

"They acknowledge that only a few months ago the unions agreed to cuts in excess of €3.4m a year in terms and conditions of employment in order to secure the future of all routes.

"Last June management announced its intention to review the French service. Unions expected to be consulted on any further cuts necessary to make this service more cost effective. Instead, management decided to make staff redundant and replace Irish seafarers with low cost crews, in spite of the objections from SIPTU and the SUI.

"The Marine Officers were prepared to suspend their decision to issue strike notice and enter talks at the LRC - so long as management suspended its decision to proceed with outsourcing. But it refused to do so, despite requests from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Labour Relations Commission.

"A Labour Court Recommendation issued last February required all parties to agree on cost savings and to return to the Court if agreement could not be reached. Management at Irish Ferries has clearly failed to comply with this recommendation.

"SIPTU is now in the process of balloting out rating members for industrial action," concluded Mr. Smyth.





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