All Irish Ferries sailings between Ireland and Britain face cancellation on Thursday because of a strike by SIPTU members.
The union yesterday served notice on the company of a 24-hour stoppage on all Irish Sea services from Thursday morning. Management will consider its response at a meeting today, but a spokesman said it was advising customers of the stoppage.
The strike, in response to the company's decision to outsource employment on its sailings between Rosslare and France next year, will have limited impact given the time of the year.
The company spokesman said freight customers would comprise the vast majority affected, and there should be ample capacity with alternative operators. Further stoppages, however, are likely in the event of the dispute not being resolved.
Three services will be cancelled if the action goes ahead on Thursday, both the Dublin Swift and cruise ship sailings between Dublin and Holyhead, and the cruise ship service between Rosslare and Pembroke. A total of seven return services, on the three routes, face cancellation.
As well as the work stoppage, SIPTU members plan to march to the gates of Leinster House from Liberty Hall at noon.
The union has appealed to the company to postpone its outsourcing plan - in return for a withdrawal of the strike threat - and enter discussions through the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). Irish Ferries, however, claims the union has breached a legally binding agreement with it by calling the strike before the dispute has been aired at both the LRC and the Labour Court.
It says it cannot enter talks while the union is in breach of this agreement, and has also reiterated its intention to proceed with its outsourcing plan.
Some 80 per cent of the crew on the service which had been operating between Rosslare and France have already signed up for a voluntary redundancy package, the company says.
It claims the decision to outsource the crew when the service resumes next year is necessary for the company to remain competitive on the route.
A spokesman said, however, it was prepared to guarantee to the unions that it would not seek to outsource employment on its Irish Sea services.
SIPTU says the company failed to consult it on the plan to "replace Irish seafarers with low-cost crews".
