Irish Ferries withdraw three ships from service

Irish Ferries have confirmed that three of their four services from Ireland have been temporarily withdrawn today.

The company blamed the action on a failure to reach agreement with unions over staffing levels, pay and conditions.

In a statement Irish Ferries said that the following vessels were being suspended from service: ‘Isle of Inishmore’ on the Rosslare to Pembroke route; 'Jonathan Swift’on the Dublin to Holyhead route and the ‘Normandy’ on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route.

The company said: "Irish Ferries regrets that the action taken in withdrawing these vessels from service is one which causes inconvenience to passengers and freight customers.

"In deciding upon the specific action taken, Irish Ferries has been extremely conscious to ensure that the minimum degree of inconvenience and disruption would be caused to passengers and freight customers consistent with the necessity to move forward and introduce cost-cutting measures as set down in various communications to representatives of the ships’ officers and crew members involved.

"Irish Ferries argues that it is operating in a very difficult competitive environment with lower and lower fares / shipping rates being demanded by customers. At present, the cost base on Irish Ferries vessels is over 30% out of line with that of its main competitor and even more out of line with other carriers with whom the company must compete."

The Seaman's Union of Ireland has threatened to withdraw labour on the 'Ulysses' super ferry that operates between Dublin Port and Holyhead.

Irish Ferries has been engaged in an attempt to reduce manning levels on board its vessels by some 50 personnel with the aim of achieving savings of € 3.4m (£2.3m) a year.

The company said that the service cuts had been "forced on it by the refusal of one of the trade unions involved (Seamen's Union of Ireland) to engage with the second trade union involved (SIPTU) in joint negotiations with the company for the purpose of agreeing new manning levels" - negotiations which the ferry operator anticipated would reduce operating costs.

The [Irish] Labour Court previously recommended that both trade unions should engage to joint negotiations with the company.

(SP)