Irish Ferries and SIPTU to attend LRC talks
Irish Ferries and SIPTU are expected to attend separate talks at the Labour Relations Commission today in an effort to resolve the row over the company's controversial "outsourcing" plans.
The meetings follow the diversion of an Irish Ferries vessel to Dublin yesterday after harbour workers in Rosslare refused to allow it to dock as planned.
The MV Normandy finally docked in Dublin just before 11pm, almost 24 hours after its departure from the French city of Cherbourg with 100 passengers on board.
SIPTU said its members only allowed the ferry to dock for humanitarian reasons and they would not be letting the vessel set sail from Dublin again.
Irish Ferries workers are also refusing to allow two more Irish Ferries vessels to leave the Welsh ports of Pembroke and Holyhead.
The escalation in the dispute began last week when Irish Ferries brought security staff on board the Isle of Inishmore in Pembroke in an effort to replace the existing crew with cheaper labour from Latvia.
The company attempted the move as part of its plan to lay off all staff on its Irish Sea routes and replace them with foreign workers on less than the minimum wage.
The company claims this "outsourcing" is necessary to help it cut costs and remain competitive.
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