Rabbitte attacks Irish Ferries
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte has launched a blistering attack on Irish Ferries in a speech to SIPTU's biennial conference in Cork today.
Mr Rabbitte told the union's delegates that the company's move to replace its crews with cheaper labour from abroad was threatening the social partnership process.
He said Irish Ferries was essentially destroying 500 well-paid jobs and replacing them with greatly inferior pay and conditions.
The Labour leader also said a similar situation was developing in the construction sector, where collective agreements negotiated by trade unions were being undercut by contractors hiring non-national labour.
"If this kind of race to the bottom can be sponsored by IBEC, it will be difficult to sustain the practice of social partnership," he said.
Mr Rabbitte also attacked the Government's attitude to employment rights, saying Ireland had more dog wardens than labour inspectors.
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