[Article] Work stoppage at Irish Ferries

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/business/2004/1112/icg.html

Irish Ferries staff back action
November 12, 2004 15:02

Staff at Irish Ferries have voted for industrial action. The result of a ballot of workers showed a two to one majority in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action.

The ballot was held following the company's decision to lay off or relocate 150 people from its Ireland to France services. The industrial action could affect all three Irish Ferries sailings across the Irish Sea, one in Rosslare and two in Dublin.

Two weeks notice of industrial action will now be served on the company.

The job losses, which effect 125 permanent and 25 temporary staff, are due to come into effect in three months' time.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/business/2004/1202/icg.html

Irish Ferries dispute escalates
December 02, 2004 19:33

In a major escalation of the dispute at Irish Ferries, SIPTU has served indefinite strike notice to take effect from Monday.

None of the company's ferry services operated today due to the unions' 24 hour stoppage over management plans to outsource 150 jobs on its Rosslare to Cherbourg route.

The union says it is escalating its action because the company has proceeded to hire agency workers on the MV Normandy, which is currently berthed in Belfast for maintenance work.

Earlier this year, Irish Ferries agreed cost savings of over €3m with SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland.

Now the company wants to replace 150 staff on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route with workers outsourced from an agency - cutting payroll costs by a further €3.5m a year. Most staff have accepted a redundancy package and the rest will be redeployed.

But SIPTU fears that that once conceded, the principle of outsourcing will spread to other routes.

The company condemned the strike, warning it would divert customers to competitors because of uncertainty about the service.

The Irish Road Hauliers Association described the industrial action as grossly irresponsible - coming at the peak freight period before Christmas.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1202/ferries.html

Minister concerned over Irish Ferries action
02 December 2004 21:54

The Marine Minister, Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher, has said he is very concerned about the possibility of further escalation in the industrial dispute at Irish Ferries.

The minister said any further disruption would have serious effects for trade in and out of Ireland and such a scenario would have a hugely damaging impact in the run up to Christmas.

SIPTU has served notice on Irish Ferries of an indefinite strike, due to begin on Monday.

None of the company's ferry services are operating today due to the union's 24-hour stoppage over the company's plans to outsource 150 jobs on its Rosslare to Cherbourg route.

The union says it is escalating its action because the company has proceeded to hire agency workers on the MV Normandy, which is currently berthed in Belfast for maintenance work.

The workers began the one-day stoppage at 6.30am this morning.

Irish Ferries in bid to cut payroll costs

Earlier this year, Irish Ferries agreed cost savings of over €3m with SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland in order to remain competitive against their rivals.

The company plans to cut payroll costs by a further €3.5 million a year with the MV Normandy staff outsourcing.

Most staff have accepted a redundancy package, and the rest will be redeployed.

But SIPTU fears that that, once conceded, the principle of outsourcing will spread to other routes.

The company says it is making alternative arrangements for passengers, and will compensate them for any additional cost.

Intending customers can phone 0818 300 400 for further information.

Hauliers condemn action at Irish Ferries

The Irish Road Haulage Association has condemned next week's threatened strike as grossly irresponsible.

IRHA spokesperson Jimmy Quinn said November and December were peak shipping months, with a huge demand for consumer goods in the run-up to Christmas.

He warned that the strike would have huge economic consequences.

Mr Quinn said hauliers did not have many options in travelling to the UK, because of limited capacity on the Irish Sea and said SIPTU's strike would also interrupt transit to Europe.

He called for urgent action to resolve the row at Irish Ferries.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/4558240?view=Eircomnet

Government intervenes in all-out strike at Irish Ferries
From:ireland.com
Thursday, 2nd December, 2004

The Government today intervened in the dispute at Irish Ferries after an all-out strike was announced for next Monday.

The Minister of State at the Department of the Marine, Mr Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher, met Siptu and management urging them to begin talks to avert the action.

Workers marched on Leinster House today as part of a 24-hour strike in protest at the company's plans to lay off the crew of the MV Normandy on the Rosslare - Cherbourg route and outsource the work to agency workers.

And following a meeting at Liberty Hall agreed the dispute should be escalated to a strike of "indefinite duration" beginning next Monday.

Mr Gallagher spoke to the parties today and afterwards said the planned disruption would have "serious effects for trade in and out of Ireland".

"Such a scenario would have a hugely damaging impact, particularly in the run up to Christmas," he said.

Mr Paul Smith of Siptu says the union was "provoked into action" because the company had used a clause in a restructuring agreement to attempt to enforce changes not covered by the deal.

He also accused management of inadequate consultation but said Siptu was willing to enter talks through the Labour Relations Commission condition the company postpone its plan.

He said the company intended to lay-off the entire crew and replace them with low-cost workers from abroad. The proposal could lead to nearly 300 people being made redundant, he said. The company puts the figure at around 150.

Irish Ferries said the move is needed to keep the route viable in the face of competition from low-cost air carriers and Brittany Ferries which is subsidised by the French government and also sails to Rosslare.

The company also maintains Siptu has breached a legally binding agreement with it by calling the strike before bringing the dispute before the LRC and the Labour Court.

It said there would be no forced redundancies and that €7 million had been set aside for those availing of the voluntary redundancy package. It said the offer had been accepted by over 80 per cent of crew members

"Only by placing its Ireland — France service on a competitive footing through the proposed new crewing arrangement can Irish Ferries be hopeful of protecting its future operation in the wider interests of Irish tourism and the import/export trade and of the economic well-being of the South East region in particular," the company said in a statement issued this evening..

Siptu received support from the Labour party's marine spokesman, Mr Tommy Broughan, who said the redundancies were a retrograde step for the marine industry which could be replicated on other vessels.

"This unilateral decision is clearly designed to drive down wages in the industry and it is a disaster for the future of marine jobs," he said.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1205/irishferries.html

Work stoppage at Irish Ferries
05 December 2004 17:20

Irish Ferries says services on its Dublin-Holyhead and Rosslare-Pembroke routes have been cancelled because of what it said was unofficial industrial action taken by SIPTU Ships Officers.

Earlier, SIPTU claimed that ships' officers on Irish Ferries ships were told to stop loading passengers and freight with immediate effect.

Irish Ferries said the ships' officers had refused to obey an order to depart from UK ports at the normal scheduled time - and that they were now in breach of their contracts.

It is understood that the cruise ferries Ulysses and Isle of Inismore are tied up in port with the crew on board with no indication of when they will be leaving.

However, the Harbour Master at Holyhead said, of the approximately 300 passengers disrupted, most had been accomodated on alternative services.

The ships' officers were due to commence an indefinite strike on all Irish Ferries routes from 6am tomorrow morning in a dispute over its plans to contract out 150 jobs.

It had been expected that ferries services would operate as normal until then.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1208/irishferries.html

Dispute at Irish Ferries worsens
08 December 2004 08:32

Around 150 Irish Ferries staff are due to be laid off today as the dispute at the company worsens.

By this evening, over a third of the workforce will have been removed from the payroll.

The continuing strike is over plans by the company to outsource jobs on its route between Rosslare and France.

With no resolution in sight, Irish Ferries cancelled scheduled sailings on Sunday.

There were further layoffs yesterday with around 120 shore-based employees let go.

A further 150 seafaring staff have been told not to report to work today as there are no sailings.

This morning, the company reiterated its view that the union is in breach of agreements and said it is a matter for ships' officers when they decide to go back to work.

SIPTU has pleaded with the Government to intervene. Last night the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, called on the two sides to stop sparring and get into the Labour Relations Commission.

sliabh

SIPTU has pleaded with the Government to intervene.

The usual shíte: "We don't want to talk to the management, we want to talk to the Government"

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1208/irishferries.html

LRC intervenes in Irish Ferries dispute
08 December 2004 22:25

The Labour Relations Commission has intervened in the dispute at Irish Ferries in a bid to resolve the strike over the contracting out of 150 jobs.

It is understood that the LRC has invited SIPTU and Irish Ferries management to separate exploratory discussions tomorrow morning.

The discussions will be chaired by LRC facilitator Brian McGinn. He will meet a delegation from SIPTU at 10am while the meeting with the company is scheduled for 11.30am.

SIPTU has served strike notice on Irish Ferries on behalf of 100 ratings who are members of the union.

Up to now only ships' officers had formally been on strike in the dispute over outsourcing jobs on the Normandy, on the Ireland/France route.

A total of 650 staff, nearly half the workforce, have now been laid off as strike action continues.

No moves have been made to settle the dispute and it appears no new contacts have been made between SIPTU and company management.

With no resolution in sight, Irish Ferries cancelled scheduled sailings on Sunday. There were further layoffs yesterday with around 120 shore-based employees let go.

This morning, the company reiterated its view that the union is in breach of agreements and said it is a matter for ships' officers when they decide to go back to work.

SIPTU has pleaded with the Government to intervene. Last night the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, called on the two sides to stop sparring and get into the Labour Relations Commission.

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/4622460?view=Eircomnet

Irish Ferries talks at LRC fail to break strike
From:ireland.com
Friday, 10th December, 2004

Talks at the Labour Relations Commission on the Irish Ferries dispute concluded without resolution this evening.

Siptu and management at the company accepted an invitation to hold exploratory talks today following five days without progress. The company said no progress had been made today, while Siptu claimed it had offered around €2.5 million in cost savings which the company would not accept.

Around half of Irish Ferries 1,200 workers have been laid off in the dispute.

The dispute centres on the company's decision to outsource jobs on its MV Normandy service between Rosslare and Cherbourg.

Siptu is concerned that the move marks the beginning of a plan to outsource jobs on other services and says this would mark the end of the Irish seafaring tradition.

The union said today it was prepared to discuss cost-cutting measures on the route other than outsourcing.

The Irish Hotels Federation and the Irish Exporters Association both urged speedy resolution of the dispute.

The bodies said they were gravely concerned at "this unjustifiable action by Siptu" which they said threatened jobs and inconvenienced 100,000 travellers over the Christmas period.

They said the grounded ferry service would lead to serious repercussions for the tourism and exporting sectors if a breakthrough in the dispute is not achieved quickly.

parsi

Victor wrote:

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/4558240?view=Eircomnet

BF sails to Roscoff and not Rosslare..

The issue of whether BF is actually subsidised is heavily debated especially by operators on the Western Channel. It appears that local authorities in France have invested in BF- good idea to ensure commercial links. If I recall correctly Cork CO Co has involvement in Cork-Swansea ferries...