Sailings on two of Irish Ferries' four routes resumed today after the long-running and bitter dispute at the company was resolved in the early hours of this morning.
The settlement was reached at around 5.30 am all-night talks in the Labour Relations Commission.
This afternoon, sailings suspended three weeks ago in a serious escalation in the dispute, resumed.
The company said services would resume as soon as possible on the company's three routes between Ireland, Britain and France, while the unions said they expected their members would return to work.
The Jonathan Swiftand the Ulysses sailed on the Dublin / Holyhead route while the MV Normandyis due to sail on the Rosslare / Cherbourg route at 6pm this evening. A time for the Isle of Inishmoreon the Rosslare / Pembroke route has yet to be arranged.
The resolution was welcomed by political parties and trade unions internationally. It could pave the way for the opening talks of social partnership which failed to take place as scheduled in October largely because of the dispute.
The row centred on the company's plan to offer redundancy to its workers and hire foreign workers at lower rates of pay. Irish Ferries said it would reflag its ships abroad to avoid having to comply with Irish employment laws.
Under the deal the company will be allowed to reflag its vessels but must pay minimum wage or more to its staff. The unions have agreed to outsourcing but staff who do not want to take redundancy will stay on the same terms and conditions. The deal is underpinned by a binding legal agreement under Irish law.
Siptu Vice President Brendan Hayes said in a statement issued at 5.30am the deal "will provide a framework for the protection of workers in the company and for the viable operation of the ferries business into the future."
Irish Ferries said it its statement, issued shortly before 5am, that it believes that the dead reached "is one which will enable the company to compete into the future".
Irish Ferries chief executive Eamonn Rothwell said: " We are now committed to restoring full services as quickly as possible and to winning back the confidence of our passengers and freight clients".
Siptu said it had secured substantial increases in the rates of pay originally proposed by the company that bring them up to and above the minimum wage.
Terms and conditions of those who wish to stay at the company are secure and the redundancy offer will be reopened to staff who did not respond to the original deadline set by the company in September.
"The full terms of the agreement will now be referred to the membership and we anticipate that this dispute will be settled," the Siptu statement said. "Ballots of members on the Ulysses, Isle of Inishmore and Jonathan Swift will take place over the day and it is expected that full schedule of sailings will be restored," it added.
A general meeting of its members will take place in Liberty Hall in Dublin at 2pm.
The Seamen's Union of Ireland, which represents about 60 per cent of seafarers at the company, was also in attendance at the talks.
