A row has broken out between the exploration company Enterprise Oil and the trade union SIPTU over who will man the company's rig, which is due to operate on a gas discovery 30 miles off Achill.

SIPTU claims the company is "by-passing Irish-based workers" by not hiring them to work on the rig. However, the company says the rig is coming from Scotland and has all the employees it needs.

Mr John McGolderick, general manager of Enterprise Oil in the Republic, said the rates of pay demanded by SIPTU workers are "too high". SIPTU rejects this and says it is "penny pinching at its worst where foreign crews are being brought in to undermine local workers and conditions".

SIPTU claims there is an agreement in the oil industry that if a rig works in Irish waters Irish workers will be used. But Enterprise Oil says it will have to lay off the workers currently employed on the rig, if forced to employ the SIPTU members.