Ferry company Stena Line is to reduce its high-speed service between Dún Laoghaire and Holyhead from three to two round trips a day because of commercial pressures.
The company denied suggestions yesterday that the activities of its main competitor on the route, Irish Ferries, were a major factor in its decision.
Irish Ferries drastically cut its operating costs last year when it replaced most of its unionised seafarers with cheaper labour from eastern Europe, after a bitter dispute with Siptu. While this has placed increased competitive pressure on Stena Line, the Swedish-owned ferry company said yesterday there were more important factors in its decision to reduce the Dún Laoghaire-Holyhead service. These were the fact that fuel costs had doubled over the past 18 months and that passenger numbers were falling because of competition from low-cost airlines. These factors alone, a company spokesman said, would probably have been sufficient to force the reduction.
Stena Line's route director for the Dún Laoghaire-Holyhead service, Vic Goodwin, said the high-speed Stena Explorer was an expensive craft to operate "and we must ensure that we have the optimum timetable for the future".
The company's intention is to reduce the service to two round trips a day each week between Monday and Thursday from May 2nd. There will continue to be three return sailings on weekends through the summer. From September 25th there will be just two round trips per day throughout the week.
The Dublin port to Holyhead service will not be affected, with the Stena Adventurer continuing to make two return sailings daily. The company spokesman said up to 14 crew members would be affected by the change, but any job losses would be implemented through a combination of natural wastage, leaving vacancies unfilled and voluntary redundancy.
A senior official with Britain's National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, which represents seafarers with Stena Line, disputed the company's claim that the changes at Irish Ferries were not a significant factor in its decision to reduce the Dún Laoghaire-Holyhead service. Steve Todd said he accepted Stena's assurances, however, that it had no plans to replace existing staff with low-cost crews.
