Ferry sailings to return to normal Saturday

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0217/irishferries.html

Irish Ferries threatens suspension in dispute
February 17, 2004

(18:11) The ferry company, Irish Ferries, says it may suspend services on three of its four passenger ferries because of a dispute with its staff. 600 employees have been told they would be temporarily laid off as a result.

The dispute centres on efforts by Irish Ferries to implement cost-cutting measures that the company says would make it more competitive.

The 'Jonathan Swift', 'Isle of Inishmore', and 'Normandy' ferries would cease sailing within a fortnight, the company said.

A spokesperson for SIPTU, which represents 300 workers with Irish Ferries, has said the union is not prepared to engage in negotiations without the Seamen's Union of Ireland.

The spokesperson said this was because 'both unions have the same workers doing the same job, and an agreement cannot be implemented until both sides agree'.

However, the Seamen's Union of Ireland, SUI, which has about 500 members in the company, has said it is unwilling to enter talks with Irish Ferries on a joint basis with SIPTU.

SUI General Secretary, Robert Carrick, said that while the union was prepared to enter talks with the company, it would not negotiate with SIPTU because 'our members do not want SIPTU negotiating on our behalf on this issue'.

Mr Carrick also said that workers would refuse to sail the fourth ferry, 'Ulysses', if the company went ahead with its plan to suspend services on the other three.

Irish Ferries has said that all efforts to date to solve the dispute have been unsuccessful because of the refusal of the trade unions to negotiate together.

John R

More inter union pissing matches, how tiresome.

Victor

http://www.onbusiness.ie/2004/0223/ferries.html

Irish Ferries staff facing layoffs
February 23, 2004

Around 600 Irish Ferries staff face temporary layoff by this weekend in a row over cost cutting plans at the company.

Irish Ferries says its high overheads and excessive staffing levels are making it uncompetitive. It is seeking cost savings of €3.4m a year, including 52 redundancies.

However, the company has blamed an inter-union row between SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland for a delay in negotiating and implementing its plans.

The two unions have refused to negotiate together despite a recommendation from the Labour Court that they do so. As a result, the company is threatening to lay off up to 600 staff and to suspend services on three of its four passenger ferries.

The company is meeting today seperately SUI representatives and a SIPTU delegation to explain how the layoffs will be implemented.

The routes likely to be affected are the fast ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, its standard Rosslare Pembroke service and its crossing from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff.

Its Ulysses ferry - the largest of its kind in the world - will continue to operate on the Dublin-Holyhead route.

It is understood that the rivalry between the two unions dates back to the early 1990s when the SUI lost members to SIPTU. SIPTU currently represents 177 officers and 120 ratings, while the SUI represents 480 ratings.

Victor

http://www.onbusiness.ie/2004/0224/ferries.html

Irish Ferries suspend two ferry services
(15:08)

Irish Ferries has suspended services on its 'Swift' and 'Innismore' ferries with immediate effect because of a row over cost cutting plans at the company.

Irish Ferries said passengers booked on crossings on the Swift from Dublin Port to Holyhead or on the Innismore from Rosslare to Pembroke should contact Irish Ferries immediately and the company will assist them in making alternative arrangements.

While no staff have been laid off so far, it is expected that by Friday, up to 600 of the company's 779 staff will have been placed on temporary lay-off.

Irish Ferries' Human Resources Director, Alf McGrath, said the company needed to achieve cost savings of €3.4m a year and 52 voluntary redundancies because the company has become uncompetitive compared to its rivals.

However, negotiation of a costcutting package has been delayed by an inter-union row between SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0224/irishferries.html

Seaman's union to vote on industrial action
February 24, 2004

(18:22) The Seamen's Union of Ireland is to ballot members at Irish Ferries for industrial action over the company's proposal to lay off up to 600 staff by Friday.

Earlier today, Irish Ferries suspended services on three of its ferries because of a row over cost cutting proposals at the firm.

The General Secretary of the Seamen's Union, Bob Carrick, said the union had taken legal advice, and will be initiating a ballot of crews on the one remaining operational ferry, the Ulysses.

He said that the SUI is planning to take official industrial action, which would require a secret ballot and seven days' strike notice.

Irish Ferries has said the layoffs of 600 of the company's 779 staff will go ahead if the row over the cost savings, which amount to €3.4m a year, is not resolved by the end of the week.

The SUI has refused to negotiate jointly with SIPTU, despite a Labour Court recommendation that they do so.

The SUI says it has a conflict of interest with SIPTU which makes joint negotiations impossible.

Announcing the service suspensions earlier, Irish Ferries spokesman, Alf McGrath, said passengers booked on crossings on the Swift service to Holyhead or on the Innismore ferry from Rosslare to Pembroke should contact the company immediately to make alternative arrangements.

Victor

http://www.onbusiness.ie/2004/0225/ferries.html

450 Irish Ferries staff laid off (14:21)

Irish Ferries has confirmed that it has commenced layoffs at the company. 450 staff will be laid off today - 150 fewer than had been predicted.

A spokesman for the company said that they would be retaining 76 additional staff on board the three vessels whose services were suspended yesterday for care and maintenance while the routes are out of service.

He said the balance of the company's staff would be employed on the sole remaining operating vessel the Ulysses.

Today's layoffs are as a result of a row at the company over cost cutting plans. Irish Ferries says it needs to achieve cost savings of €3.4m a year and 52 voluntary redundancies because the company has become uncompetitive compared to its rivals.

However, negotiation of a cost cutting package has been delayed by an inter-union row between SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland.

Victor

http://www.onbusiness.ie/2004/0226/ferries.html

Seamen's Union ponders ICTU proposals
February 26, 2004

(11:57)
In the Irish Ferries dispute, the Seamen's Union of Ireland is considering proposals from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It is hoped these proposals could resolve the row which saw 450 staff laid off yesterday.

The union met Congress representatives last night in a bid to hammer out a formula that would allow talks to proceed on cost cutting measures at the company.

Up to now, the Seamen's Union has said it could not negotiate jointly with SIPTU, despite a Labour Court recommendation that it do so.

If they accept the ICTU proposals, it is expected that the Seamen's Union, SIPTU, management and ICTU representatives will meet later today at the Labour Relations Commission to formally agree the basis for talks.

However, further conflict could arise if the company refuses to reinstate the 450 laid off workers in advance of such talks.

The result of yesterday's ballot by the Seamen's Union for industrial action will not released until later tonight or tomorrow.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0227/irishferries.html

Ferry sailings to return to normal tomorrow

February 27, 2004

(13:50) Irish Ferries has said normal scheduled sailings will resume tomorrow after being disrupted since Tuesday by an industrial dispute.

450 of the company's staff who were laid off have begun returning to work under a deal brokered by the Labour Relations Commission after a seven-hour meeting last night.

After last night's intense negotiations, chaired by facilitator Kevin Foley, unions and management agreed to start proper talks on the future of the company at the LRC tomorrow morning.

Management says the €3.4m cost-cutting package at the centre of the dispute is essential to keep the company competitive.

However, the Seamen's Union of Ireland had initially refused to negotiate that package jointly with SIPTU. But following an intervention by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, a basis was found to get the parties to the negotiating table.

In the meantime, management has agreed to reinstate the laid-off workers. However, all parties agree that the substantive talks on cost cutting will be extremely difficult.