Ferries row stand-off continues

Four engineers are still holding a sit-in in the control room

A stand-off between management and crew on two Irish Ferries over the presence of security guards amid an industrial row is continuing into its third night.

Four officers remain barricaded in the control room of one vessel at Pembroke Dock and staff on another in Holyhead are refusing to crew the ship.

They claim the firm is using the guards to ensure the start of overseas staff.

The firm said the presence of the guards had ensured dialogue "was possible" but no talks were planned.

The Isle of Inishmore, which was due to run between Pembroke Dock and Rosslare, and the Ulysses, running from Holyhead to Dublin, were still in port on Saturday.

The vessels have been stranded since Thursday, when some crew members seized control of Isle of Inishmore after new, eastern European, crew members boarded.

There's a number of people on board the ship who wish to retain their jobs and I believe they have a right to do so Bob Carrick, Seaman's Union of Ireland

Irish Ferries said the workers were there to familiarise themselves with the vessel and their roles and the security personnel were put there to ensure the continued access of company staff and port officials.

Unions claim the existing staff were upset by the manner of the security guards' appearance .

They said the men had boarded in Ireland as passengers but had then changed into their uniforms in the toilets as the vessel approached Wales.

'Protect our assets'

Engineer Gary Jones, one of the officers, and a members of the Irish Siptu union, said: "We have secured the engine room/control room because there's a presence of - the company has now told us - a security firm on board, trying to remove us from the vessel and replace us with cheap European labour."

Irish Ferries has said it had been completely open about what it was doing over bringing in new crews as part of a cost-cutting exercise. It said it was justified in employing security staff.

The firm has told passengers the dispute may go on until Monday

Spokesman Alf McGrath said: "The security measures were necessary because in December of last year Siptu staged two strikes... and totally locked up the ship in Holyhead and would not allow regulatory agencies or any management on to the ship.

"So we have a duty and responsibility to protect our assets."

But Bob Carrick, general secretary of the Seaman's Union of Ireland, said he approved of the engineers' demonstration.

"I'm appalled at the way the company carried this out," said Mr Carrick.

"They didn't inform anybody at all about what was happening. There was no need to put those security people on board at all.

"There's a number of people on board the ship who wish to retain their jobs and I believe they have a right to do so."

'No formal talks'

He confirmed that up to 90% of the crew had agreed to voluntary redundancy terms which had allowed the firm to bring in new workers, but said the wishes of the remainder to keep their jobs and terms of conditions should be respected.

He said: "That's not a choice, if somebody says you can keep your job but we're going to slash your wages in half."

Around 70 crew members are thought to be on board the Isle of Inishmore. Police have said they were keeping a minimal presence at the port in Pembroke.

Irish Ferries has told passengers that it does not expect services to resume until Monday.

A spokesman said there were "no plans for formal talks between the management and workforce, but managers are represented on both ferries and so there is the possibility of dialogue".

Meanwhile, Stena Line said its Saturday sailings between Fishguard and Rosslare were delayed due to earlier adverse weather conditions.