EMPLOYEES of Irish Ferries yesterday occupied the company's offices in Dublin to protest at proposed lay-offs while the new £60 million superferry was being launched in Rotterdam.
Later yesterday, officers who work on the St Killian on the Rosslare-to-Le Havre route voted unanimously for industrial action and will serve notice on management on Monday.
Members of the Irish Ferries Workers' Action Group protested at the offices in Merrion Row and Westmoreland Street at the proposal to lay off permanent and temporary staff on the Rosslare-France routes from November until the spring.
Yesterday, its spokesman, Mr John Browne, said that there had been a peaceful protest by about 40 members in each office. There had been no response from management, as they had all been in Rotterdam for the launching of the Isle of Innishmore.
The staff were planning a meeting in Rosslare on Monday with local politicians and would also meet Fianna Fail's deputy leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke. They will march to Leinster House to lobby TDs next Thursday.
The workers said that the 200 proposed lay-offs would be on the Rosslare-to-Le Havre route, that those laid off would be expected to live on the dole in the meantime and that there would be no pension contributions from the company for seven months. This was in spite of the fact that Irish Ferries was expected to make a profit of £12 million in the year to October, 1996, while the new ship had cost £60 million.
Irish Ferries has said that the changes were due to increasing competition and changing holiday patterns. In the past, it had been possible to operate the continental service in the loss-making winter months because of substantial summer profits, but this was no longer the case.
Irish Ferries management was criticised yesterday by the Fianna Fail spokesman for labour affairs, Mr Tom Kilt, who described as "disgraceful" the manner in which the lay-offs had been announced.
Mr Kilt, who met the action group yesterday, called on the Minister for the Marine to pot his full weight behind the workers in their efforts to save their jobs.
He claimed the company was hoping that the existing crew would leave during the winter months, which would give it an opportunity to hire a "yellowpack" crew.