SIPTU was accused yesterday of putting Irish competitiveness at risk by going ahead with an indefinite strike at Irish Ferries from Monday. Chris Dooley reports.
There were no moves yesterday to resolve the dispute between the union and the company, in spite of a call by the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, for the parties to engage in immediate talks.
The row is over a plan by the company to outsource employment on its Rosslare to France route when the service resumes next year.
The company says it cannot enter talks while under threat of a strike, claiming SIPTU is acting in breach of a legally-binding registered employment agreement.
The union says it will suspend the strike threat and enter talks if the company suspends its outsourcing plan. About 150 Irish Ferries' staff were employed on its MV Normandy service to France.
The company says the majority have already accepted a voluntary severance package, while the remainder will be reaccommodated in the company.
Irish Ferries' Dublin-Holyhead and Rosslare-Pembroke services will not be operating as long as the strike continues.
The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) said yesterday the strike was "totally irresponsible" and was jeopardising Irish competitiveness and the export trade.
Mr John Dunne, the CCI chief executive, said ferries were operating in a very tight market in which competition from low-cost airlines was driving down revenues. "Both workers and managers will have to raise productivity and cut costs in order to compete," he said.