The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called on private sector workers to take to the streets in protest against controversial plans to cut hundreds of jobs at Irish Ferries.
With the company determined to replace Irish employees on its vessels with cheaper staff from overseas, Congress urged people to march against the exploitation of migrants and job displacement.
Eamon Devoy, Ictu
Eamon Devoy, the secretary of Congress's private sector committee, urged people to join next Thursday's demonstration against the proposed job cuts.
"This is not just an issue for Irish Ferries employees but every private sector worker. Each day we receive reports of members being let go and replaced by non-union labour at rates as low as 8 euro an hour," Mr Devoy said.
"This figure, just 35 cent over the minimum legal wage, is even being paid to skilled migrant workers such as electricians."
Management and workers at the ferry company have been locked in a long-running dispute over the company's plan to lay off around 550 seafaring staff on its Irish Sea routes and replace them with cheaper agency workers.
Mr Devoy, assistant general secretary of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU), is one of 16 trade union leaders to speak out against the move and call for members to support the march next Thursday.
"Public sector workers' jobs will also be affected in the long run if this rampant pursuit of profit regardless of the human cost is not curbed," Mr Devoy said.
"It is ironic that, just as social partnership has begun to secure decent rates of pay for traditionally low paid groups such as hospital porters and cleaners in local authority offices, they are being replaced by vulnerable migrant workers outsourced from agencies on much lower rates.
"These migrant workers are often kept socially isolated from the wider community and denied trade union representation. Even workers from the new EU accession states are often fed misinformation to ensure they do not assert their employment rights."
Other unions supporting the march include Siptu, Impact, ATGWU, the PSEU, the Prison Officers Association the Teachers Union of Ireland, Transport Salaried Staff Association and the Irish Nurses Organisation.
PA