A High Court order restraining dockers from obstructing the loading of ships at Sligo port will remain in place until October 11th, Mr Justice Seán Ryan has ruled.
Injunctions outlawing picketing and obstruction at the port were granted at a special sitting of the court last Saturday night to Erin Recyclers, a scrap metal company, of Kinlough, Co Leitrim.
Damian Keaney, counsel for Erin, told the court that a ship, the Greta, had been the target of pickets at the port and they had prevented a 1,500-tonne cargo of recycled scrap being loaded.
The Greta, following the court's intervention, had left the port with its cargo for Spain on Sunday night, four days late.
Seven dockers, Siptu members, claim they are owed €24,000 by Erin Recyclers for previous shipments. They allege the company reneged on a deal to pay them to "be available for work" although they are unable to operate cranes and other machinery used by shipping agents Cermar Shipping Services, in loading the cargoes.
Damien Foley, a director of Erin, said Cermar provided a full cargo service rendering any assistance from dockers unnecessary. He said dockers could provide only a manual labour service.
Mr Foley said the protest was rooted in an attempt by the dockers to ensure their services were engaged by Erin whenever it wished to export scrap metal out of Sligo, notwithstanding the fact they were not required by the firm.
He alleged that the protest had also been an attempt to serve the interests of Bord na Móna Fuels, which effectively sought to be the sole shipping agent operating out of Sligo port.