Uncertainty continues over whether sailings by Irish Ferries to Holyhead and Pembroke will be disrupted by industrial action this evening. If the strike goes ahead the first sailings to be affected would be the 8.30 p.m. ferry from Rosslare and the 9.46 p.m. ferry from Dublin.
SIPTU's docks, marine and transport branch has told the company that it wants "full disclosure" of the evidence on which the company decided to sack a shop steward last April for alleged rape of another crew member. The company is expected to respond in writing this morning.
The local section committee will meet at noon and decide if the written undertakings are sufficient to defer industrial action and allow a Labour Court hearing into the case. The court has offered to hear the case as early as next week.
It is understood that senior SIPTU officers have already advised members to co-operate with the Labour Court and defer the action.
Irish Ferries wrote last week to SIPTU threatening legal action if the strike went ahead. Yesterday it challenged SIPTU to declare if the threatened strike had official sanction.
The SIPTU marine section committee held two meetings yesterday to discuss the situation. The meetings were attended by the dismissed shop steward, who is a former chairman of the section. He denies the allegation of rape and says that he was never presented with any evidence, other than a statement by the complainant, which was made a week after the alleged incident.
The section fully supported his demand for full disclosure yesterday. An initial response by the company, received yesterday afternoon, was not considered adequate. In it, the company offered to provide the information at the Labour Court hearing. Today it is expected to offer fuller information prior to the Labour Court hearing. This would allow the former shop steward to prepare a defence.
The SIPTU branch secretary, Mr Michael Corcoran, said that it was normal procedure for an employer to provide full disclosure of the reasons why an employee was being dismissed, and the information on which the decision was based.
"If the members aren't satisfied tomorrow, then they'll be out tomorrow", he said.