Madam, - There is a cruel irony in the fact that this week we have heard such a chorus of disapproval in connection with the action of Irish Ferries in ridding itself of its Irish seafarers. The reason given by the company for its action is economic necessity.
Exactly 21 years ago the State-owned company which established Irish Continental Line, now Irish Ferries, was put into liquidation and the reason given was also economic necessity. That was done by an Irish Government led by the Great Garret, ably supported in the action by the "smoked salmon socialists" of the Labour Party.
However, there is an important difference in the treatment of the respective workforces. I understand Irish Ferries is offering its redundant workers a substantial sum in addition to statutory redundancy whereas the Irish Shipping workers were denied any such compensation and had their contributory pensions reduced to a pittance.
In November 1984 the unions were remarkably tolerant of the shameful treatment meted out to the ISL employees who had to campaign for 10 years and issue legal proceedings to get any compensation whatsoever. They eventually received a paltry sum, further reduced by the deduction of taxes and PRSI.
I have a lot of sympathy for the Irish Ferries workers, as I still retain a huge surplus of that emotional commodity lavishly bestowed on my ISL colleagues and myself 21 years ago. - Yours, etc,
JOHN HIGGINS, Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W.
Madam, - The Government, Opposition politicians and the majority of commentators have condemned the management of Irish Ferries for its conduct. Workers' rights and the security of access to export markets are cited as being of great concern.
The actions of the management may be immoral but they don't appear to be illegal. The Government claims nothing further can be done; the industrial relations machinery of the State has been exhausted and the management appears oblivious to moral blackmail.
But there is a solution open to the State. If the Government is serious about worker protection and the security of access to export markets, why not buy the company? The Opposition has been even stronger in its condemnation of Irish Ferries management, so it will hardly object to the State acting to protect workers pay and conditions.
The market capitalisation of Irish Ferries' parent company ICG was quoted on the stock market at €227 at close of business on Tuesday. Eamon Rothwell is a successful businessman and I presume that he and the board of Irish Ferries would consider an offer to buy the company. A premium of around of 30 per cent would need to be offered to tempt the shareholders to sell. Therefore it would probably cost approximately €300 million to buy the company.
So if the Government, the Opposition, the majority of commentators, letter-writers and contributors to radio phone-ins really want to protect workers rights, they can put the State's money where their mouth is. - Yours, et,
HUGH MULLEN, Coulson Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6.
Madam, - I do not expect Eamonn Rothwell, chief executive of Irish Ferries, to take a wage cut, any more than I expect any worker to do so - but he did not deserve the bonus of €244,000 which he received last year as the current crisis is largely due to his management vision for the company.
Irish Ferries got it spectacularly wrong when it invested so much in the Ulysses on the Irish Sea. It was a serious business miscalculation to build the biggest car ferry in the world with a capacity for 2,000 cars when a smaller ferry with increased freight capacity would have made more economic sense. At the time, business analysts wondered how Irish Ferries would pay for the Ulysses. Well, now we know. The jobs of Irish workers will pay for the mistakes of Irish Ferries management.
Irish Ferries is profitable and would be even more so if it had not been badly managed. Workers should not be displaced because of spectacular management cock-ups. - Yours, etc,
BREDA KEYES, Bishopsgrove, Ferrybank, Waterford.
Madam, - Contrary to many people's opinion on the pay rates of Irish Ferries staff, I would contend that the new rates of approximately €3.60 an hour are still higher than need to be paid. I am sure that if the management team were to look further a field than Europe they would be able to find people who would do these jobs for less.
If more savings could be achieved in this manner than it would only be right and proper that the salary of chief executive Eamonn Rothwell be increased (at present he he earns only slightly more than the combined salaries of the Taoiseach and President). An outstanding human being such as Mr Rothwell surely deserves no less. - Yours, etc,
DIARMAID MAC AONGHUSA, Shankill, Co Dublin.