Surprise protests preventing Irish Ferries vessels docking in French ports will continue unless the company abandons its policy of using cheaper foreign labour or until the EU implements a fair ferry directive, according to a union involved in the protests.
Around 1,100 passengers on an Irish Ferries sailing from Rosslare to Cherbourg were stranded for five hours yesterday as protesters prevented the ship from docking at the port.
The MV Normandy had been due to dock in Cherbourg at 10.30am, but was prevented from doing so by some 100 protesters.
There were reports of scuffles between protesters, mainly French seafarers, and dockers.
According to Norrie McVicar, of the International Transport Federation (ITF), passengers and vehicles were allowed to disembark at 3.30pm.
This was the third such protest in three months, and Mr McVicar said resolution of the problem could only come about when Irish Ferries' policy of "social dumping" was changed.
The action is part of a campaign against the recruitment of overseas workers who, the ITF and other unions claim, are on lower pay rates and worse conditions. The ITF has claimed that crew members are paid an average of €3.50 per hour and work an 84-hour week.
"This was just a token protest today to let Irish Ferries know we're unhappy with its policy of crewing," said Mr McVicar.
He added: "It is clear that we need to implement a ferry directive, legally laying down equitable terms and conditions of employment for all workers in the industry . . . Until that happens we will carry on with our protests. This is not the last you have heard from us."
A spokesman for Irish Ferries said the company was involved in a consultation process with Siptu over the way it sourced its crew members.
He was not in a position to discuss the details of those discussions.
"We hope that these protests will not become a regular feature. We don't see what good is served by this sort of action. It is certainly not in the interests of our passengers."
Labour's spokesman on transport Tommy Broughan called on Minister Noel Dempsey to intervene. "The refusal of Irish Ferries to address the issues of pay and conditions makes the case of further trade union protests highly likely. This would be an extremely undesirable scenario, especially for Irish trade and tourism in the busy summer months."