Ahern seeks advice on Irish Ferries proposal

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern sharply attacked a proposed redundancy deal in Irish Ferries, saying he was seeking legal advice on the issue.

"The manner in which this matter has been conducted by the company in recent days is deplorable. I would not defend for one second the manner in which the company has acted. It has told a staff of over 500 the terms and if they do not get out, they will lose their benefits and God knows what will happen to them and that when they are out the door in a few days the jobs will be filled by non-nationals from God knows where and on conditions that nobody knows," he said.

"That is what it is at. It is sharp practice, is totally unacceptable in the Irish labour context and is used on the basis of the flag of convenience. Perhaps many of the workers will see the package as a good one, but I do not know the position on that issue."

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte welcomed the Taoiseach's "forthright condemnation" of what was going on.

Earlier, he asked Mr Ahern to detail his Government's plan to deal with the displacement of 543 workers by the firm.

He added that "having gotten away with it in the case of the displacement of workers on the MV Normandy, the company now proposes to make redundant the entire crew and to register the vessel in the Bahamas under a flag of convenience".

He said he had read it was proposed to give them €6 million euro in taxpayers' money as a contribution towards the redundancy fund.

"We have seldom seen anything so blatant as dismissing an entire workforce in order to employ slave labour from outside the State at €3.60 per hour," Mr Rabbitte added.

He had always thought, he said, that to be redundant, the job could not be filled. "But these 543 jobs are being filled," said Mr Rabbitte. "Is the Government satisfied that they are eligible for redundancy and that the taxpayers' money which is proposed to be paid into the fund is appropriate?"

Mr Ahern said the basis for redundancy was that a job was gone and the State paid a contribution.

"In this case, where it is clear the company is using the flag of convenience to let a workforce go and replace it by non-nationals at levels which fall far below the national minimum wage, which is a statutory wage, it is not acceptable either to the Labour Court, the national implementation body or whatever way we answer to Ibec," he added.

"We are endeavouring to get the firm to see there is another way of resolving the issue. If they refuse to go to the Labour Court and to the national implementation body, we have to look at the redundancy issue. It is sad that a large company, a member of the national employers, which is part of the agreement, adopts such an attitude ... I would be very disappointed if a serious company did that."