Intensive efforts to find an agreed basis for talks in the Irish Ferries dispute were taking place last night.
The Labour Relations Commission, which met the company and Siptu earlier this week, was yesterday in renewed contact with the parties. The commission proposed possible avenues through which the issues in dispute between the two sides could be discussed.
It also reiterated its view that negotiations could be conducted within a short timeframe, within parameters that would need to be understood by both parties.
The push to get the sides into talks was ongoing last night and is expected to continue today.
All of the company's services remained suspended yesterday, a week after a stand-off began when security personnel disguised as passengers boarded two of its ships.
Agency staff from eastern Europe later arrived on the vessels, the Isle of Inishmore and the Ulysses, to begin "familiarisation programmes". They are due to replace existing seafarers who have accepted a redundancy package.
Officers on the Isle of Inishmore barricaded themselves into the control room and have refused to sail the vessel. It remained moored in the Welsh port of Pembroke yesterday.
The Ulysses has been docked at Holyhead since the dispute began. Officers have also refused to sail a third Irish Sea vessel, the Jonathan Swift.
A fourth ship, the Normandy, which sails the Rosslare-Cherbourg route, is also out of service because of the refusal of port workers to handle the vessel.
Siptu is opposed to the company's plan to replace up to 543 unionised seafarers with agency workers on a rate of €3.60 an hour.
Most of the existing seafarers, who are members of both Siptu and the Seamen's Union of Ireland, have opted to take redundancy rather than remain with the company on reduced pay and conditions.
The Wales Trades Union Congress said yesterday that it would support a rally at Pembroke dock tomorrow, being held "in solidarity" with Irish Ferries' workers. The lunchtime protest is being organised by the International Transport Workers' Federation.
Wales TUC executive committee member Brian Curtis said it was calling on all members of the public to support the event. "This is a matter of serious public concern and it could determine what sort of society we are creating for our children, both in the UK and Ireland," he said.
The National Implementation Body was continuing to monitor the dispute yesterday, but an immediate intervention was considered unlikely.
Port workers in Cork, who are members of Siptu, yesterday discussed a decision by a Carlow freight company, Victor Treacy International, to charter a Brittany Ferries vessel to ship goods from Cherbourg to Cork at the weekend.
It is understood that no decision was taken as to whether they would handle the vessel, and further discussions are to take place today.
